


So Close To The Flame

by DarkLordBananas



Category: Labyrinth (1986)
Genre: Explicit Language, F/M, Fantasy, Romance, Sexual Content, Sexual Fantasy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-07
Updated: 2017-01-10
Packaged: 2018-05-18 21:33:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 32,867
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5943856
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarkLordBananas/pseuds/DarkLordBananas
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sarah has won and Jareth is defeated... for now. The Goblin King knows something that she doesn't... Sarah should have paid a little more attention to the rules in those old fairytale books. If there is one thing that the Goblin King has learned from their last game, it's that patience and time will be his allies in Sarah returning to him, and claiming her for his own.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you like my little Labyrinth brain-child. This is my take on what should have happened after Labyrinth ended. Personally, I always thought Sarah made a mistake by refusing Jareth... *le sigh* he was my first crush, (Um, David Bowie?! Just plain hot in general, but his sexiness was amplified to the max when he played Jareth!) and I always wished Sarah would have the chance to grow up and come back. So, this story which has sat in my skull for at LEAST the last 15 years, is finally coming out. 
> 
> Also, I am a musician, and as such, music has always fuled my creativity and ideas. So, it only makes sense that I would have music included in my chapters, specific songs that I have listened to while writing them, and that have helped inspire each part. I'll be including quotes from those songs at the begining of each chapter so that if you're curious about them. you can find/listen to them. 
> 
> That being said: Read On! \m/

_“No one can blame you for walking away_  
_But too much rejection_  
_No love injection._  
_Life can’t be easy_  
_It’s not always swell,_  
_Don’t tell me truth hurts little girl_  
_‘Cause it hurts like hell…”_

_-Underground by David Bowie_

 

**Prologue.**

The owl sat, perched on a branch directly outside her window, watching as she hugged each of them in turn, laughing and spinning about her room. He was exiled to watch her from afar, and these damnable _creatures_ were allowed to be near her… to be in her very room! She had defeated him, reclaimed the child she _asked_ him to take in the first place, and turned her nose at all he had offered her. She had humiliated him, and yet here he was… still drawn to her, still longing to have her for his own. _Oh, but she was still just a girl after all_ , he reminded himself. On the cusp of womanhood, yes, but a girl still. She might play at love and romance, but she was still relatively unaware of what it was he was _really_ offering her. She was not yet mature enough to grasp fully what he wanted or what he knew she really wanted. He had attempted to rule her- to woo her- by living up to her still girlish, inexpert expectations of masculinity... and he had _failed_.

Of course he had failed! The game was set in her favor all along, she had all the power and he was as much a puppet on her string as the rest of them. That was quite alright, however, thinking again of how young she really was. The child was back in his crib and so the effects of her _own_ childish tantrum had been erased. Sarah had changed some, however, this he could see. Because of her actions she had now achieved some understanding about her own power and what adulthood means... she was changing, and _would_ change in other ways soon enough. Let her keep her friends for now to call upon when she had need, he would wait. For just as they were not confined to the Fae world of the labyrinth, whenever she had need of them, so he was not. He was not banished no more than they were, and he would wait to be invited in again on Sarah’s terms. He would wait forever if he must… for what was forever, really? It’s not long at all.

With a last glance at the window, Jareth spread his wings and took flight, only seconds later, Sarah glanced there to see a shadow pass over the branch that was now gently bobbing up and down beyond the glass. She paused in knowing for a moment, before returning her attention her friends and the merriment that was ensuing.


	2. Haunting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sarah's feelings for Jareth are not as clear cut as she thought they were.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter took me almost a week to work out before I thought it was good enough, plus I'm a full-time college student and I have a part-time job, so I'm pretty busy. I'll try and pump these out as fast as I can, but I want to make sure they're good enough for you guys to read, and not rushed. So be patient with me, the next chapter is coming soon. 
> 
> P.S. I am being HEAVILY influenced by some of Halsey's awesome songs right now! This particualr one quoted at the begining of this chapter just SCREAMS Jareth/Sarah to me. <3 Enjoy guys, and please comment! I would love to hear if you like my brain-child.

_“Cause I’ve done some things that I can’t speak,_

_And I tried to wash you away, but you just won’t leave._

_So won’t you take a breath and dive in deep,_

_Cause I came here so you’d come for me._

_I’m begging you to keep on haunting,_

_I’m begging you to keep on haunting me._

_I’m begging you to keep on haunting,_

_I know you’re gonna keep on haunting me.”_

_\- Haunting, by Halsey._

 

 

 

He watched her many, many times after the night of his defeat. Of course he watched her, he could hardly help that. He would remain at a distance so as not to interfere and allow her the chance to become the woman he was waiting for, but if he could not be with her physically, he would be as close as he was allowed. Most of the time, he resigned himself to watch her through his crystals, but even that would grow old after a while and so he would become the owl. He would find her… he could _always_ find her, but since she did not call him to her, he could not reveal his true form in her presence, and so the owl became his cloak.

There were times when he could sense that she knew exactly what… _who_ he was behind the mask of feathers and slight, hollow bones. She would hear the deliberate whoosh of his wings, and glance in the direction of whatever tree or building he was perched upon, her eyes would lock with his owlish ones and she would _know_ him. In these moments his wild fae heart would sink and soar all at once, what was this god damned power that she wielded over him? A mere mortal girl, not yet grown? Well, it was in her pureness and innocence where her power lay, and because of this she was nearly immune to his own powers… nearly. He had noticed the way she looked at him in the ballroom, and he had caught her gaze a few times before and after that, there was more than frustration and anger in those looks, and more than once he caught her gaze drifting to his crotch, and she would blush at his bulge. Oh, little Sarah… if only you knew. He lost the game with her once, (and oh, how he _hated_ to lose) but he had learned his own lesson since then: That patience… while vastly annoying, was the key to winning this new game, and to winning everything he wanted.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………

 

Sarah was standing in front of the Goblin King in all his unsubtle glory, and time was almost up, she was struggling to remember the last line from that damn book! She was pulled from her mental revere by the large clock behind him striking the 13th hour. Time was up… she had lost. She had failed her brother. The toothy smirk that slowly formed on Jareth’s face was soul-crushing and exhilarating at the same time, his eyes gleamed with his victory, as he tilted his head slightly.

“It appears that time has run out for you, Sarah. Such a pity.” He crooned at her in his low voice. “No matter, your brother will make a suitable goblin for my kingdom.” He then laughed a little, his strange eyes never leaving her.

“No! No, there has to be another way! _Any_ other way!” she begged as tears began to well in her eyes, blurring her vision a bit, so that it looked as though Jareth was surrounded by a glossy haze.

“There’s nothing to do, Sarah. You were given your chance, you agreed to play the game and you lost. Rules are rules.” Jareth took a slow, triumphant step towards her. “You are free to return to your home, without your brother of course.”

“The clock!” Sarah blurted out, “You sped up the clock in the tunnels! So I still have time! This isn’t over yet! It’s not _fair_!”

Jareth shook his golden head, the smirk on his lips growing wider. “Time is up, Sarah. There is no going back. This _is_ over. Stop acting like a child and grow up a little, if you please. Accept your fate and the fate you have bestowed upon your _precious_ baby brother.”

“Wait! There must be something you want! There must be something I can do!” Her brain was racing for some kind of hope… wait a minute, she thought. Her voice held a softer, trembling tone when she spoke again. “You… just now, you asked me to let you rule me. To do what you say… to… to love you.”

One of Jareth’s eyebrows raised up, his expression was guarded, but his stance was still and ridged… she had his attention, but he made no effort to speak. He only stared her down with a piercing glare.

“What if…” she stumbled over the words and her own thoughts that were racing a mile a minute. “What if I made you a trade? Myself for Toby? I’ll agree to stay with you, under the condition that Toby be sent home safe and sound.”

His face was unreadable, but she could swear she saw his eyes betray an emotion for just a second before gaining control. What was it? Hunger? Lust? It was only a quick flash and then it was gone and he was stepping closer to her, sauntering in fact. Closing the gap in the space between them. He was glaring down at her, his odd mismatched eyes boring in to hers. There was something so wild, haunting, and utterly beautiful in them. For a moment she forgot where she was and what she was doing, and her arms jerked up ever so slightly at her sides. Oh god! Was she about to reach up and touch him? Oh… oh no, she was! What shocked her more was that the idea of staying with him wasn’t really sounding so bad.

Jareth was hovering over her, his face even closer to hers that before. She stared up in to his eyes, and this time he was making no effort to conceal the hunger that was shining in them. He practically purred when he spoke. “You for the baby? You would stay here, with me… be _mine_ , and in return all I have to do is return one drooling little child?”

“Yes.” Sarah said with little confidence, her breathing was coming out a little faster now.

His eyes were locked on hers for what seemed like an eternity before he responded. “Very well. You for the baby. A much better deal, if I do say so.” He held up one of his crystal balls, which he always seemed to produce out of thin air, and she gazed in to it. She saw Toby, asleep and safe in his crib.

“How do I know he’s really home? How can I be sure you kept your word?” her eyes hardened a little.

Jareth let out an irritated sigh. ‘Despite what you may think, I have never gone back on my word. Have I not done everything you have asked since we started this little game?Very well, you will see it with your own eyes, if that’s what it will take to shut you up on this matter.” He grabbed her arm in a vice-tight grip and in seconds, before she even realized what happened, they were standing in her father and step-mother’s bedroom. Toby was indeed in his crib, sound asleep, he looked peaceful and seemed to have forgotten, or not cared about the events of the last few hours.

“There. You see? I have kept my end of the bargain, and now Sarah… now, you will keep yours.” He placed his other hand around her free arm, and pulled her to him, transporting them back to his own world in seconds… back to his castle.

Sarah was beginning to get lost in those strange eyes of his despite herself, her brain seemed to be fogging over as he backed her up against a wall. She said thickly, “Are… are you going to turn me in to a goblin, then?”

The intensity in which Jareth was staring at her was shattered, and a broad smile encompassed his lips, he laughed hard and moved his face in close, his lips slightly brushing against her ear when he spoke. “Now _why_ would I spoil such a lovely little peach like you on a goblin spell? No, Sarah dear, I have much better plans for you… _especially_ certain parts of you.” He pulled back to gaze at her with a dark intensity, and the pleasure he got from the sight of shock on her face was almost too much for him, and his domineering smirk returned. She didn't know if she wanted to lock her mouth around his, or slap her hand across it.

She didn’t have to decide though, he made the decision on his own, slamming his mouth over hers, prying her lips apart with his tongue and forcing his way in to her mouth. The sensation was overwhelming and she found herself bending in to his kiss, moaning softly, her arms slowly trailing up his chest. He took this as all the permission he needed, and snaked one hand behind her neck, clamping it there, while the other he slid around her back. He pressed his lean chest against her breasts and reveled at the softness of them against himself. Sarah’s eyes flew open when she felt the hardness of his cock pressing up against her lower abdomen, and she stiffened a little. Jareth felt this, pulled back only for a moment to give her a devilish smile, before pressing his cock and himself harder against her, moving his hands down to grab her ass-

Sarah awoke with a gasp and her body jerked upright, the covers rustling loudly with her sudden movement. It took her a moment to steady her breathing, and she collapsed back down onto the mattress, eyes wide as she contemplated the dream she had just had. What the hell was that about? That wasn’t what happened. That wasn’t how it had ended. _But a growing part of you wishes it had_ , a voice whispered in the back of her mind. She was suddenly all too aware of the throbbing in her crotch, she had been _turned_ _on_ by this alternate scenario of the events over 2 years ago. “Good god, what the hell is _wrong_ with me?” She muttered softly to the ceiling, throwing an arm across her eyes.

She jerked in surprise when her forgotten alarm clock went off on the nightstand next to her. She sighed and pressed the off button, reluctantly sitting up and throwing the covers off herself. Running a hand through her long black hair, her gaze went to the window of her bedroom, where she saw the Owl. Her eyes widened and her breathing quickened. She was frozen in place, her eyes locked with its own. The owl stared back at her, and she swore to fucking god, the bastard thing _winked_ at her before spreading it’s wings and taking flight, disappearing.

Sarah continued to stare at her window long after the owl was gone, how long had it been there? Did it… did _he_ know about her dream? She’d been having this same, reoccurring dream for a long time, ever since she had left the labyrinth. Though, as time went by and she got older, the dreams were becoming more graphic in detail. She had always felt an… what was the right word? Attraction? Desire? Could she have felt those things even at the age she was when she last saw him? She supposed so, but not to the full extent of understanding. She had grown up a lot since then, and now at 18, about to graduate high school, move out of her father’s house and on to her dream college, she was far more grown up now than she thought she had been back then. She was becoming an adult, about to truly step out on her own for the first time and with this realization came others she had long kept hidden, even from herself. Like the fact that she was more aware now that what Jareth had wanted from her the night she had claimed victory, and taken back Toby was a hell of a lot more than just being her king.

The thought made Sarah blush, and she smiled just a little, despite herself. She got up and went to her closet, picking out her wardrobe for the day. School was nearly over and she had just a few more weeks left before she would graduate. She had found her niche at school shortly after her trip to Labyrinth… you would have thought that the hellish time she spent in a fantasy realm would have deterred her from wanting to ever associate herself with anything like it again, but no, it only made her crave the escapism of fantasy even more. For that reason, she had joined the Theatre class of her school. She loved it and the like-minded kids she had befriended there. She loved that she could still play dress-up and get away with it, and the best part was getting to slip in to the skin of another person, another character, and for a while not have to live in the “real world.” Next to the school library, the stage became her sanctuary and she had been in every single play and production the school had put on since her Sophomore year. She was going to miss it and her classmates, but she couldn’t wait to begin the next adventure.

She might be same girl from before in many ways, but she had grown just as much. Like the time she lost her virginity to Micah, a gorgeous boy in her theatre class with blonde hair and blue eyes… she had a type, she guessed. They were both cast in roles for the winter play of “Into the Woods.” Sarah had been cast as Little Red Riding Hood, and Micah was cast as the wolf who led her astray, as well as one of the princes. There had been sparks right off the bat, it started out as flirting and teasing, the way that young love/lust usually does. The night of the last run, after the play was over a bunch of them got together at one of the cast members house, (Julia, who played the baker’s wife… her parents were out of town and what else was a teenager to do with a house all themselves, but throw a party, right?) Sarah and Micah spent most of the evening close to each other, making shy eye-contact.

It took the help of the cheap booze, that Julia had managed to procure to relax Sarah up enough to ask Micah to go for a walk with her. They found themselves in Julia’s older brother’s room (who was currently away at college) and it was there on the twin-sized bed, fumbling, and laughing from the buzz they both had going, that Micah and her had sex. It was not what she had expected, it was fast and clumsy and neither of them really had any fucking clue what they were doing, but he had been sweet and careful with her. They had gone out for a little while after that, and the sex got better, but she knew she didn’t _really_ love him. This was just high school, it was a milestone on her path to adulthood and she knew that it was never meant to last. She guessed she had grown up more than she knew then. Or, could it have been that despite Micah’s sweetness… he wasn’t anything compared to the wild, dark temptation that had begun to haunt her dreams? There were more than a few times when she had imagined it was not Micah’s lips that were trailing kisses along her body, but _his_ lips. That is was _his_ strange, haunting eyes staring up at her as his tongue caressed its way down her navel…

Sarah finished getting ready for school, she snatched her backpack up from the chair at her desk and made her way downstairs, snatching a raw bagel from the kitchen to eat on the way to school, and headed out the door to the driveway where her car waited. As she threw her backpack into the trunk, she glanced up at the giant oak tree outside her house… there was the Owl again, staring right at her. She stared at it this time without fear, instead only a sense of longing washed over her, her eyes unfocused for a moment and she sighed.

“I wish…” she said softly to herself as she stared up at the owl. Sarah shook her head quickly and snapped herself out of her thoughts, climbed in to the driver’s side, turned the car over, and with the engine rumbling softly, took off for school. The owl watched her as the car became smaller and smaller with distance.


	3. Love You Like I Do

 

_"On my heart I'll bear the shame_

_No prayer can ease the pain_

_No one will love you_

_No one will love you the way I do_

_No one will love you_

_Love you like I do._

_And there's no escape_

_Just countless mistakes_

_No one will love you_

_No one will love you the way I do_

_No one will love you_

_Love you like I do."_

_-Love You Like I Do by HIM_

 

Sarah sat in the second row, surrounded by her classmates. The graduation ceremony was almost over. She had walked the stage, shook the principles hand, taken her diploma and smiled at her father and step-mother for the generic “walking to get my diploma” picture. Toby, who was now almost 4, sat squirming in his seat. Sarah could tell that he had just about reached the limit that his little toddler brain could handle, and the water-works, brought about by shear boredom; were about to start. Her stepmother must have noticed too, because as soon as the pictures were snapped, she got up with Toby and left to find a more secluded place for her little brother to have his melt-down.

While the closing ceremony was commencing, Sarah was letting her mind wander; something she did very often. A bad habit that was only getting worse, she thought. She was thinking of all the things she had to do before moving to Seattle for college. She and her dad had taken a trip there last Summer, when she was investigating some of her choice colleges. Washington had won her over, with its ability to be a big city, with a small city feel. Some of the best music was coming out of there, and there was SO much for a young adult to do! Best of all, Sarah thought, was the forests. The trees… they were everywhere, and the many moss covered pines that ran rampant in the parks and near-by woodland trails made Sarah feel like she could step in to a mythical world anytime, just by going outside her back door. Or, at least close enough to get to by walking or ferry ride, since she would be living in the dorms. What could be more of a draw to a fantasy lover? Julia had wrinkled her nose up at Sarah’s excitement about being accepted to the University of Washington.

“But why?” Julia asked, shaking her head, her chin-length light brown hair bobbing back-and-fourth. “I heard it rains there all the time! There’s trees everywhere, and water everywhere else! Which would be fine, if it was the kind of beaches they have in Southern California. Besides, I thought with your love for acting, you would go to Los Angeles or something, Isn’t that where all the future stars go?” Julia smiled and winked.

“Exactly.” Sarah had responded with a grin. “That’s where they all go. I’m not them, and the theater scene in Seattle is amazing. Underrated actually… and I won’t have to fight every other Tom, Dick, and Harry for the same role. Besides, have you seen the forests?” Sarah’s eyes got that far-away look to them that she sometimes got. “It’s like out of a fairytale.”

Julia gave her the usual odd look when Sarah started to drift off in to her head. “Good God, you are weird, Sarah Williams… even by the weird kids standards.”

Sarah snapped out of her revere and gave Julia a friendly shove. “Shut up.” She retorted back.

 

****************************************************

 

She didn’t even notice the ceremony was over until she heard the cheers coming from all around her, she stood in a bit of a haze with the rest of her class, smiling and clapping with them. A lot of the students threw their caps up in to the air, and Sarah craned her neck to watch them rise, and then arch on their decent back down from the rafters. It was then that she noticed something off and out of place… a bird? Not the Owl. This creature was bright, no, _violently_ purple with a silver beak. It fluttered about in the rafters above her. It seemed confused and trapped for a moment. She furrowed her eyebrows when the bird glanced her way, sounded off a soft chirp and, beating its little wings, quickly took flight and… and disappeared in to the roof! It just seemed to go right through it as though the roof was never even there!

Sarah glanced around stunned. Had anyone else seen that? No one seemed to be acting as though they had just seen a strange bird appear out of _nowhere_ and then fly straight through the roof, without becoming a poof of feathers. Maybe she was just really tired. It had been a _long_ , stressful few weeks leading up to this day… maybe her brain was just finally cracking from all the late-night cram sessions for finals, and the excitement of graduation. It wasn’t like her active imagination ever _stopped_ , even after she came back from the labyrinth. The labyrinth! That would be just the sort of creature she might see in that place! But what the hell was she seeing it here for? She hadn’t called it. She hadn’t called anything, or any one from there in a good while. As she grew older, and found like-minded friends at school, she found that she needed the ones she had made in her journey through the Labyrinth less and less.

But the Goblin King… he had been invading her mind more so as time went on. She wanted… _craved_ his presence more times than she would ever admit out loud, and then there was the dreams. Something that confused her more than anything. Jareth was cruel, hot tempered… _oozing_ sex appeal. Oh, dammit! Don’t start thinking like that again! She scolded herself. This… this… _crush_ she was forming was starting to become a problem. It was disturbing. She wouldn’t call for him though, what good would it do? It wasn’t like the two of them were the bosom companions that the others at been. He was the villain in her fantasy… at least he _had_ been. Was that part of growing up too? The lines between black  & white/wrong & right become blurred, and it all comes down to an individual’s point of view on the matter? After all… it was  _SHE_  who had wished her brother away, Jareth had done what she asked him to do. But it wasn’t like she actually thought it would work! She thought that fairytale stories were just that… stories. How could she have known that just beyond this world… lay all the things she had read and dreamed about? That what was real and what wasn’t, was a lot more complicated. She wasn’t sure it would even work if she did call him, she _was_ sure that he was watching her…but she was also just as sure that he was still rather vexed at her for defying him and rejecting his offer.

 _“I ask for so little. Just fear me. Love me. Do as I say, and I shall be your slave!"_ his words echoed in her mind.

Boy, wasn’t that a loaded statement, she thought. Yet, she had rolled it over in her head so many times since that night. What was he asking her? He said he had done things for her that he had done for no other, he made it sound like he had broken rules for her…had he? To what purpose though? Her train of thought was derailed by Julia slamming in to her with a big hug, Micah following behind with a sheepish grin on his face.

“Can you believe it, Sarah? We’re officially out of this place now! No more high school!” Julia exclaimed with bright eyes and a wide smile. She pulled Sarah in for another tight hug, and Sarah made eye-contact with Micah over her shoulder, laughing at Julia’s excited outburst.

Micah gave a friendly shrug, with his hands stuffed in to his pockets.

Sarah patted Julia on the back and gently pulled her off of her to stand at arm’s length. “Yeah,” she said, “It’s pretty amazing. Hey, did either of you guys see that purple bird?” she blurted out before she could stop herself. Dammit.

Julia and Micah both gave her an odd stare. “Purple bird?” Julia replied, with a quizzical brow. “Are you feeling okay?”

“Maybe it’s lack of oxygen.” Micah stated with a crooked smile. “It’s pretty damn stuffy in this place, too many people all crammed together. Kinda’ warm too.” He said as he pulled on the collar of the dress shirt he was wearing beneath his robes.

“That, or Sarah really has crossed over the line from fantasy to delusional.” Julia quipped, elbowing Sarah in her arm. “I gotta say, I’m gonna miss you, weirdo.” She winked. “Oh! Hey! You’re going to the grad party tonight at Mitchell’s, right?”

Sara bit her lip a little, “Oh, um… I don’t know. I hadn’t really decided…”

“Well, decide to go!” Julia snapped back. “Come on, one last hoorah before we all scatter to the four winds! Unless you have plans with your parents, in which case, skip them and come to the party anyway! Mitchell’s older cousin is supplying the booze, so it should be a good time… and if it’s not, you won’t care because you’ll be drunk.”

“I’ll see what I can do.” Sarah said with a laugh. “I guess I had better find _the parental units_ , before they start to think I took off for Seattle ahead of schedule.”

“Alright. I expect to see your ass tonight. No excuses.” Julia winked, and made her way through the crowd.

Sarah and Micah exchanged a slightly awkward glance and a smile. He stepped up to her and extended his hand for her. “I hope you can come tonight, too. I’m um… I’m gonna miss you, Sarah.” He gave her another crooked smile.

Sarah shook her head, smiling and gently slapped his hand away, pulling him in for a hug instead. “I’ll miss you too.” She pulled away then, giving him a last friendly grin, before setting off

 

*****************************************************************************

 

Sarah sat in her room, carefully applying some makeup for the party. She wasn’t exactly in the “party” mood, she was still disturbed and confused by the strange thing she had seen at graduation. She couldn’t figure out what is was about. Did Jareth send it? Why would he? Why was she obsessing over this anyway? She was officially an adult now, and the world was out there waiting for her. Why did she have to keep dwelling on a god damned fairy king in another world?! This was her world… right here, right now. Carpe Diem, right? She was going to go out, party with her friends one last time… maybe get a little action, and she was not going to obsess over stupid, blonde-haired Fae men, who carried grudges as big as their packages! (Oh, well, that thought wasn’t going to help…)

 

************************************************************************

 

Jareth sat on his throne, a leg cast casually over one of the arm rests, staring in to a crystal. His other hand pressed against his mouth in thought. She had seen that damn bird as clearly as he had… his mind was a mixture of excitement and surprise. She saw it all on her own, he had nothing to do with it, which meant that for just a moment… for a second, a part of her had crossed over and seen the Fae realm. He had been waiting for this moment for a long time. At last the effects of her actions years ago were finally starting to turn in his favor. She would be his. He just had to wait a little longer… just a little while longer. He lowered his hand from his mouth and smiled wickedly at her image in the crystal.

“Really, Sarah.” He said to himself “For someone so enmeshed in fantasy, you should have paid a little more attention to your fairytale books.” He passed his hand over the crystal, and the image changed to show a younger Sarah, biting in to the peach he had Hoggle give to her. He let out a low chuckle, and tossed the crystal in to the air.


	4. Dream On

_“ As your bony fingers close around me_

_Long and spindly, death becomes me,_

_Heaven can you see what I see?_

_Hey you pale and sickly child,_

_You’re death and living reconciled_

_Been walking home a crooked mile._

_Paying debt to karma,_

_You party for a living_

_What you take won’t kill you,_

_But careful what you’re giving._

_Can you feel a little love?_

_Can you feel a little love?_

_Dream on, dream on.”_

_-Dream On, by Depeche Mode._

 

The grad party was in full swing by the time Sarah got to the house, she entered and began zig- zagging and turning, making her way in no short time through the crowd of bodies. She craned her head, searching for her friends and smiling at the people she knew, but was not overly close with. She finally found a congregation in the back den of the house, where her friends and fellow theater “nerds” were hanging out, laughing as a blonde girl, Erin, and her best friend, Bridgett stood reenacting a scene from earlier that day at graduation. Sarah crossed the room to catch just the tail end of the “performance.”

“… and I swear to fucking god, she _actually hugged me_ and said Oh, Erin! I’m going to miss having classes with you! Like, I’m just so sad that we didn’t get to know each other better and stuff! ACK! Gag me, right? That bitch looked down her nose at me and teased me all through high school, but now all of a sudden she’s sprouted a sentiment for me? Fuck off!” Erin took a sip from the plastic cup she was holding, and grimaced. “Whoo! I’m gonna need something a _little_ less strong the next go-round!” as she turned to sit down with Bridgett, Erin noticed Sarah approaching them and her eyes lit up. “Sarah! About time you made it!” she raised her cup to Sarah and toasted the air, the rest of the theater kids cheered along with her “Welcome to the party! Julia! Stop sucking face with Mitchell for _one_ minute and greet our bosom companion of the stage!”

Sarah laughed loudly when Julia and Mitchell both popped their disheveled heads up over the back of the couch. Julia smiling big and wide, her lipstick a little smeared. “Hey! There you are! Grab a drink and catch up, weirdo!”

Micah stood up from the floor where he was sitting, and went to her. “I’ll get you something. Any preferences? There’s beer, assorted hard liquor, and some kind of fruity, vibrant colored punch with a lot of kick to it.” He winked at her and smiled

“Thanks.” Sarah said, blushing a little. “I think I’ll give the punch a whirl.”

“You got it, my Lady. I’ll be right back, gonna get a refill for myself, too.” Micah brushed a hand along her hip as he walked past and out of the room.

Sarah moved in and immersed herself amongst her friends, listening to and enjoying the loud, sometimes chaotic chatter that emulated around her. Micah returned shortly with her drink, and one for himself. She had settled herself on the floor in front of the couches and chairs, Micah came and sat down beside her, passing a cup to her. Sarah sniffed, she could clearly detect the alcohol mixed in with the fruity smell of the punch. She wrinkled her nose a bit, but tipped the cup to her lips anyway, swallowing a large mouth full. _Not bad_ she thought, and took another, smaller sip.

Julia had come around the other side of the couch, and plopped down opposite Sarah, pulling out a small mirror from her pocket to look into while she fixed her hair and makeup. “I kinda thought you might be a no-show tonight, I know big parties aren’t usually your _thing_ , but you gotta admit, this one is pretty rad.” Julia snapped the mirror closed and beamed at her. “Hey! Let’s go dance! We can burn off some of this booze and then refill!”

A bunch of the group cheered this suggestion and got up, heading to the large living room that had been turned in to the makeshift “dance floor”.

Sarah bit her lip and took another swig from her cup. “I don’t know… I’m not much of a dancer.” She muttered.

Julia rolled her eyes, getting to her feet. “Like that even matters. Most people are too drunk or stoned to care. Come on, Micah will dance with you, so you won’t look like a total goob, right Micah?” Julia winked at him.

Micah blushed a little and grinned. “Um, yeah. Sure. If Sarah wants to.” He cast a sideways glance at her.

Sarah smiled and shook her head slightly, there was no getting out of this, she conceded. “Okay, sure. But I make no apologies for stepping on your toes. You know my dancing skills… or lack thereof. You’ve officially been warned.”

“Dually noted.” Micah nodded. He stood up and extended a hand to help Sarah up from the floor.

Julia clapped her hands together. “Yes! Let’s go! Mitch! Move your cute ass!” and grabbing Mitchell’s hand, she led the way to the living room.

Joan Jett’s _“I Hate Myself for Loving You.”_  was blasting over the speakers and everywhere there were people dancing, laughing and shouting along with the song. Julia, holding Mitchell’s hand, pushed her way through the crowd to the center and they began dancing around. Sarah and Micah stood on the sidelines for a little while, watching her and some of the rest of the group. The song was already halfway through and when it ended, the next song that came on was _“Alone”_ by Heart. Immediately, people began coupling up for the slow song, and those without a partner, or who just didn’t want to dance to a slow number, left the floor. Micah extended his hand to Sarah, his blue eyes shining.

“Shall we?” he asked, placing his drink on a shelf.

Sarah smiled at him, nodded, and chugged the rest of the spiked punch that was still in her cup, before setting it down too.

Micah wrinkled his nose and cringed a little. “Ooooh, you’re gonna regret that. That shit is _strong_.”

Sarah laughed, wiping her mouth a little and shrugged. “Carpe Diem, right? Like Julia said.”

“Not really the best example if you ask me.” Micah grinned.

Sarah took his hand, and they moved out to the dance area. Micah wrapped his arms around her waist, and she placed her arms lightly on his shoulders. Her green eyes locking with his blue. He smiled down at her, his cheekbone length blonde hair falling over one eye as he did. _He kind of looks like him a little_ , Sarah thought to herself as they slowly swayed in each other’s arms. He was tall and lanky like him too… God, Freud would have a field-day with her. She laughed a little out loud, and Micah gave her a quizzical look.

What?” he said, raising an eyebrow. “What’s so funny?”

“Nothing,” Sarah responded. “Just… had a funny thought is all.”

“Ah. Care to share with the rest of the class?” He asked.

“Mmm… nope. Not really. Just shut up and dance.” Sarah grinned back up at him.

Micah laughed and shook his head, he bent down a little and gave her a soft peck on the cheek. “You and that head of yours. There’s a lot inside there that I would love to see. You’ve always played that mystery card well.”

“Oh, believe me… you don’t want to go tramping around in this skull. It’s a strange, dark place.” She winked.

“All the more peaked is my curiosity.” He responded, pulling her a little closer.

Sarah leaned her head to rest on his chest while they danced around slowly, listening to the music and allowing it to carry her away, her head was starting to swim a little from the alcohol she had chugged. That punch _was_ strong…

_“You don't know how long I have wanted_

_To touch your lips and hold you tight,_

_oh You don't know how long I have waited_

_And I was going to tell you tonight_

_But the secret is still my own_

_And my love for you is still unknown_

_Alone…”_

As she listened to the lyrics, feeling the warmth of Micah against her… her mind shifted to thoughts of _him_ again. She mentally scolded herself, and tried to focus on the present. Sarah shut her eyes tight, willing all thoughts of Jareth to leave. She then heard the music shift… change so suddenly. The song wasn’t over, it was fading… a different tune was growing louder and taking over, there was an echo to it as though it was bouncing off of the walls of a cave. It took her a moment to recognize it, it was the song from her little music box. The one _he_ had sang to her in the ballroom as his hands held her body firmly, but softly… guiding her around the dance floor. She heard that voice now, crooning in her ear.

_“As the pain sweeps through,_

_makes no sense for you_

_Every thrill is gone._

_Wasn’t too much fun at all._

_But I’ll be there for you_

_As the world falls down…”_

Sarah opened her eyes… and the living room was gone! Her friends, the house, it was all gone! Before her and all around her was the ballroom. The masked fae people were there, twirling and spinning, their otherworldly laughter echoing off the walls. Everything was bright, glittering… hauntingly familiar and all-too real. She looked up at Micah, but found Jareth instead… his eyes boring in to hers, his lips parted in a toothy grin. He wore the same sapphire colored attire from the first/last time they had danced together. He leaned in close to her while his hands… they felt so real… their touch so familiar, were guiding her across the ballroom floor.

Jareth whispered in her ear, “Did you miss me, Sarah? I _know_ I’ve missed _you_. You’re wondering if this is a dream, of course. It’s not. Nor is it exactly _reality_ as you would see it, but do not doubt that I _am_ here… with you.” As he pulled his mouth away from her ear, he planted a hungry kiss on her collar bone, his tongue lapped at her skin just a little.

Sarah’s wide eyes were locked on his as he hovered over her, she began to tremble and tried to back away, but he only pressed her closer, his grip on her waist hardening.

“Oh, come now, Sarah. Don’t act so modest and coy. You and I both know what it is you _really_ think of me… I’ve seen your dreams. I’ve tasted them…” he stopped moving her around the dance floor, bringing a hand up to her face, passing a thumb softly over her lips. “Every shiver of ecstasy.” He concluded.

Jareth leaned his face down, making to kiss her, Sarah shoved his chest hard and he stumbled back a few steps. His eyebrows furrowed in surprise and confusion.

“Sarah?” his voiced carried a tone of alarm, grasping her arm again.

“Sarah!” he repeated, only now his voice had a strange echo… and the echo wasn’t his voice, but Micah’s. In an instant, the ballroom dissolved before her and she was standing back in the den of Mitchell’s house. Micah was staring down at her, bewildered. Other people were too, and few were whispering. Sarah stared around her, shocked and confused. Her face flushed and she shook her head.

“Sarah?” Micha said again “Are you okay?”

Sarah bit her lip as tears began to well up in her eyes, she wrenched her arm out of his hand and shoved her way through the crowd, running through the house and out the back door to the yard. She ran to the edge of the yard and stopped in a little cluster of trees, her hands gripping the bark while she leaned against a trunk, breathing heavily. Above her, was the owl… though she didn’t see him. He peered down at her through the branches, the bleed-throughs were getting stronger. Her powers, stemming from her mortality were weakening, which meant that his own power was growing. Though he still could not appear to her in the flesh unless she wished for it, but give it time… this was all going to end up in his favor soon.

“What the hell is happening to me?” Sarah whispered. She shut her eyes tight and tried to slow down her breathing. She leaned back against the trunk, wrapping her arms around herself. “Jareth.” she said softly.

The Owl’s head whipped around, and then was gone… he stood behind her now, in his own shape, his body tense and alert. She couldn’t see him of course… she hadn’t wished for him… but she had said his name out loud. She hadn’t just thought it… she had spoken it. Her power was waning, but power she still had, enough to ward him off without her consent. Every atom in his being longed to reach out and touch her, to wrap her in his arms… to do a hell of a lot more than that, really. “Sarah.” He muttered softly.

“Sarah!” Micah’s voice broke the silence.

Jareth rolled his eyes. _Goddamn that pathetic, insufferable whelp!_ He thought with vehement bitterness.

Sarah jerked in surprise and turned around, seeing Micah jogging across the large yard to her. His features becoming less definable as he moved from the flood of light coming from the back porch. He transitioned to a brisk walk as he neared her, stopping hesitantly a few feet away from where she stood.

“Hey. What the hell happened in there? Why did you freak out?” He looked her up and down with concern.

Sarah let out a frustrated sigh. “It was… it was nothing, Micah. Okay? I just… I don’t want to talk about it!” she snapped.

Micah raised his hands in defense, “Alright, fine. No need to explain, I guess. But that wasn’t like you… you looked like you were seeing something else, you looked scared, and I just thought…” he sighed, seeing Sarah’s eyes slitting in annoyance. “… and you don’t want to talk about it.” He echoed her response.

“No, I really don’t.” she retorted. She slid down to the ground, wrapping her arms around her knees.

Micha cautiously moved to sit down beside her, meanwhile Jareth shot daggers at him, leaning against the tree. It was pissing him off to no end that he couldn’t actually touch her, while this simpering weasel could be as close to her as he could only dream.

Sarah rested her head on her knees, her long dark hair spilling over her arm. “So, how freaked was everyone?” she asked, gazing at Micah.

He laughed a little, and gently put his arm around her shoulders. “Well, let’s just say, it’s a damn good thing school is over… otherwise I’d recommend staying home “sick” for a few days.” He winked at her.

 _Oh, we think we’re quite the comedian, don’t we?_ Jareth mentally scoffed. _Idiot_.

Sarah huffed, leaning in to him. “Thank god for small favors, then.”

She turned her head up to look at Micah, her eyes scanning his face. Micah stared back down at her and leaned in, kissing her softly on the lips. Sarah hesitated for just a moment, then trailed her hand up, touching his cheek. She deepened the kiss. Micah pulled away, placing a hand on her shoulder.

“Are you sure you’re okay? You can talk to me.” His eyes were searching hers.

“No,” Sarah shook her head sharply. “I don’t want to talk… I don’t even want to think right now. Just… just go with me, okay?”

“Okay.” Micah breathed.

Sarah continued kissing him, he wrapped his arms around her and she pulled him down to the ground with her, not caring that they were outside on the cold dirt and grass. She began pulling his shirt up, and he stopped her, staring at her with concern.

“Here?” he said.

“Here.” She nodded, and pulled his shirt up and over him.

He lifted her own shirt up and began kissing her stomach, gently. Sarah placed a hand in his blonde hair, staring up at the branches above, she sighed and closed her eyes. _Don’t go there_ she thought to herself. _Don’t…_ but it was too late.

Jareth smirked, reading her thoughts. _“You little vixen. As you wish it.”_ He held up a crystal, and blew on it softly. It floated away from his hand and expanded to encompass the little area in the trees surrounding him, Micah, and her.

When Sarah opened her eyes, she saw that it was _Jareth_ on top of her, not Micah, slowly unzipping her jeans. She tensed for a moment, opening her mouth as if to yell. Jareth turned his head up to lock eyes with her. He placed a slender finger to her lips, hushing her. He smiled and licked her navel, she shuddered with pleasure and ran a hand along his upper back. He raised himself up, straddling her in the grass and pulled her jeans down and off. He let out a primal growl, gazing down at her, then lowered himself on to her again, kissing her deeply. He spread her legs apart, and Sarah wound her arms around him. When he moved a hand down to her crotch and began rubbing her gently, she let out a soft moan and gripped him to her even harder. She felt his mouth smiling against hers, and he let out a deep chuckle. She could feel his cock growing hard against her inner thigh and he gently unwound one of her hands from him, guiding it to his crotch and had her running it along his hard shaft. The material of his leggings was the only thing separating her flesh from his and she found herself longing to feel him… all of him inside her and around her. She wanted every inch of him touching her… _feeling_ her. He reached down and moved a hand underneath her panties, stroking her gently, feeling how wet she was. Her senses were exploding, and she moaned louder, bucking against him.

He brushed his lips against her ear, kissing it. “Tell me what it is you wish for, Sarah.” His voice was low and husky. He moved his hips in one slow thrust, she felt his cock rubbing against her crotch, the friction from his leggings and her panties was almost unbearable.

“You…” Sarah panted. “I want _you_ , Jareth.”

Jareth stilled and raised up on his hands, looking down at her. “ _What?_ ” he blurted out in anger.

Sarah blinked, and the crystal vision shattered. Micah was starting down at her, breathing hard, there was anger and annoyance in his eyes. Sarah gasped.

“ _Jareth_? Micah spat back at her. What the _fuck_?” He pulled himself off of her, grabbing his shirt and began pulling it on forcefully.

Sarah sat up, stuttering. “Micah… I… I’m sorry, I was just-“

“Thinking about someone else?” he snapped back. “Who the fuck is Jareth? What the _hell_ , Sarah?”

Sarah grabbed for her jeans and shirt, standing up to put them back on. “No one, Micah… I… I didn’t mean…”

“Yeah, you _did_. It’s not the first time, either!” He stood as well, looking down at her in disgust.

 _“What?”_ Sarah almost shrieked, backing up against a tree.

“That _name_! Micah said bitterly. “You’ve blurted that god damned name out before when we were together. It doesn’t exactly make me feel hot to have you moaning out some other guy’s name when we’re- what the hell kind of a name is _Jareth_ anyway?” he spat. “Some ex- boyfriend you can’t get over? I’m just the Mr. right-now, right? You know, I put up with it before… but this is bullshit. I knew you weren’t as in love with me as I was with you, but I’m done playing second fiddle to some old flame you’re still obsessing over. I’m done. I’m not playing along with your little f _antasies_ anymore. You need a reality check, Sarah.” He turned sharply and stormed back across the lawn to the house.

“Micah… _wait_!” Sarah called.

He didn’t stop, just waved a dismissing hand behind him as he approached the porch. Sarah ran a hand through her hair in frustration. “ _Why_ do you keep haunting me?” she asked out loud, staring up at the sky.

Jareth edged closer to her, caressing a hand along her cheek. She stiffened, feeling the touch but not seeing him. “Because _you_ won’t stop haunting _me_ , you precious thing.” He whispered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for waiting, and for letting me know you guys like my story. I'm working on the next chapter as I type this, and I will have it done and posted soon, I hope. I don't want to rush this too fast, or it won't come out as good as I want it too. Creativity and all that. ;) The next chapter WILL have more of our favorite Goblin King in it, I promise you! (You'll also find out just what it is he's been waiting for and why) Stay tuned, guys, and MUCH love to you all!


	5. It's No Good

_“I’m gonna take my time, I have all the time in the world_

_To make you mine. It is written in the stars above, the Gods decree,_

_You’ll be right here by my side._

_Right next to me. You can run, but you cannot hide._

_Don’t say you want me, don’t say you need me_

_Don’t say you love me, It’s understood._

_Don’t say you’re happy out there without me_

_I know you can’t be, ‘cause it’s no good._

_I’ll be fine. I’ll be waiting patiently,_

_‘Till you see the signs and come running to my open arms._

_When will you realize?_

_Do we have to wait till our worlds collide?_

_Open up your eyes,_

_You can’t turn back the tide”_

_\- It’s No Good by Depeche Mode._

 

Jareth lay in his bed, his body stretched out like a cat; bathing it in the silver-white moonlight that came in from the opened window of his castle bedchambers. He was rather exhausted. The magic he has used tonight to reach her, to be with her, was a lot to muster. Not as hard as it _could_ have been, thankfully, now that the veil between her and his world was thinning. Still, the effort it took to use that much magic in her world was not for some low-ranking Fae, let alone a King. _Oh, but it was worth it,_ he thought to himself, smiling. He threw off the thin sheet that was covering him from the groin down, he wore nothing to bed. Bedclothes were a god damned nuisance, and he rather enjoyed the feel of the cool, slick sheets and, on colder nights, the down- soft furs that lay across his large, deep bed. It was a bed fit for a Fae King, of course. Four tall posters stood, carved to look like gnarled, twisting barren tree branches in a wood that was naturally so dark, it looked almost black. The mattress was deep-set in the panels, and curtains the deep blue color of the sky just before complete dark, were hung on all four sides. When closed they created a comfortable, secluded little cocoon. Jareth rarely ever closed them, though. He liked being able to look at the sky and the wild, fae lands that stretched out beyond his sprawling labyrinth.

He crossed to the large window, completely naked, and leaned against the stone cut frame, not giving a damn who or what saw him. Shame and embarrassment were foreign words to Jareth. _Let them look upon their king in **all** his glory_ he sneered.

He was in too good a mood to care, this night was a revelation after all! That sniveling, idiot boy was a slight damper on the event, and using his body to cast the magic spell, when he would have _much_ rather used his _own_ body out there in the trees, was not ideal. However, on the whole this was a night to celebrate! A small victory if you will. He was getting ever closer to his goal, and _obviously_ Sarah was beginning to be more receptive. Before tonight she had only been open to him in her dreams. Oh, there were moments when he knew she was thinking about him while she was sucking face with that boy, but that had been all her. He had not influenced any of that… at least not intentionally. She did have quite a vivid imagination, he had to admit. She was a unique human on many fronts, and Jareth had been drawn to her… her imagination… her power, from the start.

Sarah was not the first whining sibling to wish their baby brother or sister away… but she _was_ a special case. She was the only one to ever defeat him, for one thing, but Jareth had been watching her _long_ before that night. She was something rare indeed, though she did not know it. It was in her blood, going back to the times of those _Celtics_ , as mortals would call them. She had the gift of fairy sight, or a “sidhe-seer” as they were sometimes called. She could see and feel things from the fairy realms that most mortals could not, she could pierce the veil between worlds. The fact that humans actually believed that _their_ world was the only one that existed was laughable, incredibly short-sighted, and _stupid_. The Fae could sense these special humans like moths to a flame… and when Jareth had discovered her, saw the beautiful creature she would grow to be, and the fire that burned inside her soul, he began to fall in love with her… wanted her for his, and his alone.

There had been fae in the past who had fallen in love with humans, but of course this never ended well. A full-blooded Fae could not live amongst the mortal world or they would sicken and die after a time, and humans were… _mortal_. Those who chose to stay in the fairy realm with their love, would still age and die. The result of that would often lead the fae lover in question to fall in to madness and despair, for no heart loves as fiercely or more loyally than a fae’s… yet it could be their very undoing. He would _not_ watch Sarah grow old and die, he would not concede to a temporary love that would be nothing more than a blink in the eye of his immortal life. No. He wanted it all, or… well, _he wanted it all_! There was no other option in his mind, and so he had hatched a plan once he had finally got her to cross in to the fairy realm, and in to his labyrinth.

He had intended to win and then make her his offer: _Her_ for her brother. Then, he would do what needed to be done to secure her immortality. It became apparent rather quickly though, that she was definitely _not_ like the others. She was quite possibly going to win, thanks to the help of his ever _loyal_ subjects that she had befriended. He had despaired for a little while until he realized just how simple this could be. He could still have her. He would have to wait longer of course, but while he may have lost initially, he had _still_ won. All thanks to an incompetent dwarf, and a seemingly harmless peach!

Jareth chuckled to himself, turning to saunter slowly, and gracefully back to his bed. It had been so damn simple, it was almost laughable. There _was_ a chance that she wouldn’t eat it, but he was willing to gamble those odds, since he was more than sure she was hungry after such a long trek through the labyrinth.

“You beautiful, foolish girl.” He spoke out loud to himself, returning to his position on his back, staring up at the stone ceiling. “Didn’t you know that you should _never_ eat or drink _anything_ offered to you while in the fairy realm?”

No, she didn’t. He had been betting on that when he gave the peach to Hoggle in the first place. That little piece of fruit did more to her than just place her in his crystal vison inside a ballroom… a lot more, and now it was finally taking effect like he had hoped it would.

A theme that often ran in the human’s stories about visiting the fae world, and which also happened to be true, was that eating or drinking anything _from_ that world was dangerous. It was believed that if a mortal consumed any of it, they could never leave the fairy realm, or they would sicken and die. This was partly true, though human lore was missing the more important facts of it. The mortal in question would _not_ sicken and die the moment they left the fairy realm, and the reason for their sickness was because the mortal was becoming a Fae themselves. Just like any full blooded fae creature, if they didn’t return to the Fae world in enough time, they would indeed die. There were old stories told by humans about those returning from the fairy world going mad and being locked away, but they were not in fact “going crazy”… they were seeing things from the fairy realm. They were suffering as any Fae would away from their home. As their blood changed and they became immortal, they could pierce the thin veil and see the world that lay just under the noses of humans. Being one foot in and one foot out would make anyone think they were going crazy, and feeling physically ill would only add to that mindset.

This process was now starting to happen to his darling Sarah. She had bitten in to that peach, and even though it was just _one_ bite, it was all that was needed for the magic to do it’s will. He had time, but he wasn’t sure just how much. It was different with each mortal, sometimes taking a year or so, and other times just a few short months. The fact that it had taken this long before any symptoms began manifesting was an testament to Sarah’s physical and mental strength and her gift as a sidhe-seer. All the same though, she would have to be told, the symptoms would manifest more as time went on, and they _would_ amplify. She needed to be full-blooded Fae to be his queen, but getting her here was going to be difficult. She would be furious at him, he was sure. She didn’t seem to find as much humor as he did in these little twists and turns… but if she wanted to live, she would have no choice but to come with him back to his world. He _would_ make her his Queen this time. For what is a King without a Queen after all? A King ruled his kingdom, and a Queen ruled her King. Oh, he _liked_ the sound of that…

Smiling at this, his thoughts drifted to the expression on Sarah’s face tonight, looking up into his eyes while he did… unspeakable things to her _lovely_ body. The soft moans that had escaped her throat, the way her skin quivered and tensed with desire at his touch. He felt himself growing hard just reminiscing about it, he let out a frustrated moan and took hold of his erected cock. He began stroking himself slowly, closing his eyes and thinking about those iridescent green orbs of hers staring up in to his face. The hunger, lust, and need in them reflected in his own. He allowed these feelings to wash over him, and god dammit, he could almost _taste_ her as he quickened his strokes and climaxed. He sighed in exhaustion and mild annoyance after he came, _this was getting old_ … he thought to himself. Nothing would do but to have her, everything else paled in comparison. If he could grant his own wishes, he would wish that she would be here with him… right now.


	6. Control

_“… the house was awake_

_With shadows and monsters_

_The hallways they echoed and groaned_

_I sat alone, in bed ‘til the morning_

_I’m crying, “they’re coming for me”_

_And I tried to hold these secrets inside me_

_My mind’s like a deadly disease._

_I’m bigger than my body,_

_I’m colder than this home,_

_I’m meaner than my demons_

_I’m bigger than these bones._

_And all the kids cried out,_

_“Please stop, you’re scaring me!”_

_I can’t help this awful energy_

_Goddamned right, you should be scared of me_

_Who is in control?”_

_-Control, by Halsey._

 

Sarah awoke suddenly in the middle of the night in her dorm room, her head was pounding and her body felt like it was on fire. She threw the covers off, tried to stand and tumbled to the floor, gasping in pain. She attempted to stand again, and decided swiftly against that, choosing to crawl instead. _Crawl where?_ She thought to herself. To one of the other dorm rooms and pound on the door for help? Help with what? She didn’t even know what the hell was going on or why. A searing pain rang through her head again, and she clamped both hands down on the sides of her skull… _what the fuck?_ Her eyes widening in surprise at what she felt, her ears were… _No! No that can’t be right._

She scrambled on her hands and knees to her dresser, where a large mirror hug over it. She bit her lip hard, fighting down the urge to vomit from the pain in her body, and pulled herself up, flopping down hard in to the chair that was in front of the dresser. She gripped the edges tightly with her hands, taking a moment to let the nausea and dizziness she was feeling ease off a bit, before flipping the switch on the table lamp next to the mirror. She slowly pulled her long, dark hair away from her face.

“Oh…my… God!” she moaned in horror.

Her ears were growing in to long points at the tips, and as she stared at her reflection in the mirror, she saw her skin changing too. The pale, smoothness of it was being replaced with a sickening green tone, and was becoming lumpy and scaled. She opened her mouth to scream at her reflection, and saw that her teeth were growing in to sharp points, her nose was elongating into something you would see on a wicked old witch from an old fairytale. Only, this wasn’t a fairy tale… this was more like a nightmare! This was actually happening! She felt her back bones twisting and contorting, the pain beyond tolerance now, she let out a blood curdling scream, smashing the mirror with her bare hands...

Sarah let out a sharp yell as she scrambled in her bedsheets, sitting bolt up-right. Beads of sweat on her face, her whole body was damp with perspiration. She breathed heavily, her eyes adjusting slowly to the dark of her dorm room. She blinked and gazed wildly around her, she saw the dresser and the mirror, intact, over it. Slowly, she brought her hands to her head, tentatively touching her ears. They _felt_ normal. _So, it was just a nightmare_. She cautiously slipped from her bed, feeling instantly cooler out of the sweat soaked sheets, and walked the few short steps across the small dorm room to the dresser. She leaned over it, flipping on the table lamp and examined herself. She still half expected to see the ears and horrid skin growing on her, and sighed softly when she saw that everything was normal.

She laughed at her own stupidity and flashed a slanted smile at herself in the mirror, well… _relatively_ normal. Like anyone could really use that word in all seriousness to describe her. The girl who is so enmeshed in fantasy, that she _imagines_ fairies, talking flowers… and even once, while she was exploring a park not far from campus, she thought she had seen a faun dash off through the trees. She had chased after it to where she thought it had ran in to the bushes, but all that had been discovered was a raccoon, munching on some discarded fruit it had found in a trashcan. She was pretty sure that she was losing it. Ever since her High School graduation, she had thought she’d seen a lot of weird things, though it was hard to dismiss them as figments of her imagination entirely, she _had_ after all, been to another realm. It was real, and she knew it. Ever since she was a little girl, she had always seen things… or thought she had seen things that others couldn’t. Her family chopped it up to a very vivid imagination, and perhaps they were right. She would be the first to admit that her imagination very often ran wild, even now at 19. She had been drawn to fantasy and the idea of discovering a whole other world, where all the creatures from her stories were real. When she had discovered that her dreams were true, she was both thrilled and terrified. She also found out that the stories had glossed over things a bit when discussing the fairy realm. The Fae came in many forms, and most, if not all of them had a darkness to them. They were not the little cherub faces in flower dresses, dancing about and granting wishes to mortals. They could be cruel, selfish, and wildly unpredictable. They were also beautiful… some of them, anyway. They could also be very powerful, in more ways than one. _“Jareth”_ a dark little corner of her brain whispered. She found herself wishing more and more that she could find a way to go back. She could certainly use a break from all the tests, studying… _stress._ It was hard enough keeping her head out of the clouds before all this, now it was a damn chore in and of itself.

As she sat there, calming herself down, she noticed the queasy feeling that was rolling around in her stomach.

“Mmmm, not again.” She moaned, wrapping her arms around herself.

She had been having these on and off feelings of nausea for a few months now, at first she had thought that she was coming down with something, a bad flu maybe. She even went to a doctor at one point. They ran some tests, did blood work and came up with nothing. She didn’t even have a fever, they said. After some discussion, the doctor had suggested that maybe Sarah was just suffering from Freshman nerves, it happened. It was amazing what the brain could trick the body in to believing, he had said, and college was hard, especially for the first year. He was probably right, she had been a little… okay, a _lot_ on the stressed side lately. The workload from her classes kept her a frequent flyer at the school library and there were plenty of sleepless nights spent at her desk, working on essays and assignments, not to mention rehearsing her lines for the early winter play she had been cast in, for the college's production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”

She had been cast as Titania, the Queen of the fairies. She was very excited about it, and was eager to get to dress up as a fairy Queen, complete with a long, flowing, ethereal gown, and wings to top it all off. It was a fantasy-loving girl’s dream come true. She shivered then, her mind flashing back to her nightmare. _That_ had been anything but beautiful, maybe it was her nerves about the play that brought that on? Her mind was just burning off some of the stage jitters and nerves that she had been feeling. Fairy Queens didn’t look like that, anyway… at least she thought so. Jareth was a Fae King after all, he ruled over Goblins and other dark creatures in his realm, yet he wasn’t grotesque… maybe a little mentally, but she couldn’t deny that to look at, he was very easy on the eyes. The pompous ass knew it, too. Humble was _not_ a word one used to describe the Goblin King. She laughed and bit her lip a little, wondering what _he_ would think of her character role in the play.

A new wave of nausea hit her, and her face tightened with unease. She glanced across to her nightstand by her bed, seeing the glaring red numbers on her electric clock. 4:30 in the morning. Her first class of the day started at 8:00. She preferred to take morning classes so that she could use the rest of the day for getting her studying and homework done. Her evenings were currently occupied with rehearsals for the play.

Sarah stood up and walked back to her bed, crawling under the covers and glancing again at her clock. She resolved to skip her classes for the day, opting to stay in bed and sleep a bit more. She hadn’t had what could be called a restful night so far, and this nausea wasn’t going to go away quickly, she knew now from experience. A little R & R was the ticket, and she needed to be in better shape by the evening for rehearsals. There was no skipping out on those, or you would lose your part in the play.

Sarah found herself gazing at the mirror from her bed, her mind slipping in to a state near sleep. She blinked when she noticed what looked like ripples spreading across the mirror’s surface, like a stone dropped in a pond. There was an image appearing slowly now, and she sat up, staring more intently at it.

The image cleared, and she saw that she was looking at Jareth! He was sitting in a windowsill, dressed only in a pair of black leggings. His pale chest seeming to glow in the moonlight pouring down on him from the night sky above. He was staring out towards the labyrinth, a distant, sad look on his face. He juggled one of his crystal balls back and forth absentmindedly. Sarah had never seen him look so vulnerable. It shocked and intrigued her. The only time she had ever seen a glimmer of weakness in him was when she had defeated him years ago. The disappointment in his face was evident for just a few moments, and then he had changed in to the owl and flown away. She was staring intently at him, his face… his body, her mind drifting to dark corners she tried so hard not to dwell in, when she noticed him tense up. His head turned slowly and his eyes seemed to lock on to hers. That wicked grin of his spread across his face, and he angled his body a little more sensually, draping one hand just over his crotch, puffing out his chest.

“Enjoying the little peep-show, darling?” he purred, licking his lips.

Sarah gasped and blushed. “J… Jareth.” She stuttered.

His eyes closed to slits at the sound of her voice speaking his name, and he sucked in a breath of air, letting it out in a sigh filled with longing. His smile growing even wider. “Sarah. Now this _is_ a pleasant surprise, you spying on _me_ … I can almost see the blush creeping up in to those lovely cheeks of yours.”

She furrowed her brow, “You… can’t see me?”

Jareth chuckled, and leaned his head back against the window frame. “No more than you could see me when I was… checking up on you.”

“You mean _spying_ on me! And so you admit it? You have been watching me all these years!” Her voice raised slightly in annoyance.

He scoffed. “What is there to deny? I've never hidden my presence from you… well, not when I was able to physically come around.”

“I _knew_ that owl was you!” She retorted indignantly.

Jareth rolled his eyes. “Yes. Quite the detective you are.”

She glared at him, even though he couldn’t see it. “If you can’t see me, how can you hear me? How did you know I was watching you?”

“Ah, so _you_ admit to watching me! Quite the double standard lady, I see.” He beamed.

Now it was Sarah’s turn to roll her eyes. “Jareth...” she spit out with annoyance.

“Magic, my sweet.” He answered. “Plane and simple. Though I am surprised at you managing to keep the contact so long.”

“You mean, you didn’t do this? You weren’t thinking of me?”

“Oh, I _was_ darling. Quite often, and in so many colorful ways that I would love to paint a picture for you… or better yet, show you.” He let out a devilish laugh when he heard her irritated sigh in response. “No, I didn’t call fourth the magic that allowed for this unexpected, but extremely pleasant connection. That was all you, darling. And might I say, I’m very impressed.”

“How is that even remotely possible? I don’t have magic powers.” _This is making my head hurt_  she thought to herself, placing a hand over her temples.

“I would disagree with you there, Sarah. You hold quite a powerful… _spell_ over me.” He raised an eyebrow suggestively.

She let our another frustrated sigh, dropping her head in to her hands. “It’s late… or early. I’m tired and I _really_ don’t feel well. I’m not in the mood for your innuendos, Jareth. Does everything have to be a game with you?”

When she brought her face up again to look at him in the mirror, she saw the ripples moving across the surface again, distorting the image of Jareth. “What’s happening? _Jareth?_ ” She sat up straighter, looking wildly at the mirror.

The Goblin King was gone, and now the mirror was just that, an ordinary piece of decoration. The only thing reflecting in it’s surface now was the wall behind her bed.

“God dammit!” she mumbled, and collapsed back down on to her bed. She shivered and brought the covers up and over her again. “I’m fucking losing it.” She spoke to herself. “That’s all there is to it. I’m going insane…my mind is completely losing control.” Sarah rolled over, staring at the wall her bed was up against. The feeling of nausea was returning. “Sleep, that’s what I need… and a fucking CAT scan. There is nothing about this that’s normal.” Exhaustion overtook her then, and she fell back in to a sleep filled with strange creatures, even stranger landscapes, and a beautiful, _slightly_ arrogant king, beckoning her to come to him.


	7. Stripped

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry this chapter took longer to write than I had hoped. I was dealing with an annoying case of the dreaded WRITER'S BLOCK, and for a while, I was just... stuck. I am now (hopefully) cured, and I hope you enjoy this next piece of Jareth and Sarah's story. I had a lot of fun writing this chapter, actually. Probably one of my favorite interactions with them so far. Read on, guys... and do forgive me the delay in updating.

_“Come with me into the trees_

_We’ll lay on the grass, and let the hours pass._

_Take my hand, come back to the land_

_Let’s get away just for one day_

_Let me see you stripped down to the bone_

_Let me see you stripped down to the bone._

_Metropolis has nothing on this_

_You’re breathing in fumes_

_I taste when we kiss_

_Take my hand, come back to the land_

_Where everything’s ours_

_For a few hours._

_Let me see you stripped down to the bone_

_Let me see you stripped down to the bone…”_

_-Stripped by Depeche Mode._

 

“Then I must be thy lady: but I know when thou hast stolen away from fairy land, and in the shape of Corin sat all day, playing on pipes of corn and versing love to amorous Phillida. Why art thou here, come from the farthest Steppe of India?” Sarah stood on stage in her costume, reciting her lines with her cast mates while around them, the organized chaos of stage hands, light testing, and scene building went on.

“A little more dripping with annoyance, Sarah. You’re supposed to be upset with him.” The director and theater teacher, Mr. Allen, called from a seat in the audience.

“Wouldn’t be the first fairy king that’s happened with.” She mumbled under her breath. Even after taking the day off and sleeping, she still wasn’t feeling all too well, but the show must go on, as they say.

“I’m sorry?” he said, looking at her quizzically. “Nothing,” Sarah sighed, running a hand over her face. “I’m just not feeling well, is all. I’m sorry, Mr. Allen, I’ll get my head in the game.”

Mr. Allen nodded. “You’re a bright young star, Miss Williams; with a lot of talent… but you need to pull your head out of the clouds and get your feet on level ground, eh? As it is, I think we’ll wrap for the night, thank you everyone.” He stood up, gathering his folder and papers in his hands. “Opening weekend is just two weeks from now and we still have a lot to do. I’ll see you all again tomorrow night.”

Sarah retreated to the back of the stage, where the students were undressing from their costumes. A tall, pretty girl with blond hair, named Tiffany was helping her out of the massive amounts of flowing fabric that was her fairy queen gown.

“I think it still needs to come in a little bit around the waist, and the shoulder straps are crooked as well.” Tiffany said, frowning with sewing pins stuck between her teeth. “I’ll have to bust my ass to get the adjustments made in time, but I _promise_ it will be ready to go opening night.” She took a pin from her mouth and put it in place where she was pinching the fabric of the bodice to fit Sarah better, marking her measurement spot.

Sarah slipped the gown down then, stepping out of it carefully, trying to avoid being stabbed by a needle in the process. She was wearing her jeans underneath the gown for now, but her top was bare, other than her bra. Luckily, years of changing in the school P.E. locker rooms and multiple plays throughout the years had made her used to changing in front of people.

“It’s a beautiful gown, Tiffany. You have _such_ an amazing talent. I couldn’t stitch up a hole in a sock.” She grinned at the girl, gently handing the costume over to her. “I can’t wait to try it on again after it’s finished.” Sarah beamed.

Tiffany smiled at her, gathering the gown close to her. “Thanks, Sarah. I was a little worried about the color…” she caressed the dress, which was a brilliant sapphire blue, lovingly. “But the fabric was too beautiful to pass up.”

Sarah nodded. “It’s not the color I would have thought of either, but it seems to fit. It feels very… _royal_.”

“Yeah, when I was doing some research in to costume ideas for fairies, I ran across a book that mentioned that sapphire was considered the color of Fae royalty, not the pale hues and greens that most people think. Also, it’s unique. Something that hasn’t been done every damn time, you know?” The passion in Tiffany’s eyes for costumes was very evident.

Sarah’s thoughts wandered to the Fae ball, where she had danced with Jareth after eating that peach. He was wearing a suite of sapphire blue then, a color that she couldn’t recall noticing on any of the other Fae that were present. He stood out even in a crowd as eclectic as that one had been… but then, it was his style. Jareth was not one for subtlety. His tights were evidence enough for that.

“Sarah?” Tiffany said, snapping her fingers in front of her face.

Sarah jerked and blinked rapidly, coming out of her revere. “Sorry, I was someplace else there for a moment.” She gave a nervous laugh and looked down at her feet.

“Yeah, I could tell.” Tiffany smiled. “I’d go back to the dorms and get some sleep if I were you. You’re looking a bit pale… well, paler than usual.”

Sarah shrugged on her shirt, now that the gown was off. “It’s Seattle, Tiffany. Everyone here looks pale, unless you go to a tanning salon. I’ll see you tomorrow night, then?”

Tiffany sighed. “Yep. The life of the theatre, huh? Instead of going out on a Saturday night, painting the town red, we’ll all be here… rehearsing and prepping for the play. The nerd-life is strong with us.” She winked.

“Well, there will be painting here… just actual sets, not the town.” Sarah quipped.

“Oh, _har har har!_ The comedy genius of Sarah Williams, everyone. Stick with acting, you’re better at it” Tiffany gathered up her sewing kit and waved. “See ya!” she said as she spun around and headed off the stage.

Sarah was wandering back to her dorm from the theater, she pulled her jacket in closer around her, hugging her arms tightly about herself for added warmth. Little puffs of steam were blowing out from her mouth and nose, drifting in to the air in ghostly wisps. She glanced up at the sky, it was a clear night tonight, something not seen too often in Seattle at this time of year. She had learned quickly that dressing in layers was the key to life in the Pacific North West, and that weather could be unpredictable; especially in late fall/early winter.

The stars were shining with a brightness that was almost unnatural, and the full moon in the sky was casting down a silver light so bright, you could see the details of the campus as though it were awash in the light of day. She paused for a moment, staring up at that moon, she had always loved the nighttime, and moonlight most of all. It was so ethereal… otherworldly… _magical_. Like anything that would normally seem impossible, could be possible if it happened by moonlight.

A breeze picked up, rustling the branches of the evergreen trees and other types of trees with the few remaining leaves they had. Sarah closed her eyes, as the cold wind kissed her face, washing over her. She breathed in deeply and smelled… cinnamon? It was sweet, sugary and with a hint of earthy spice. The breeze was now no longer cold and nipping, but warm. It sounded crazy even to her, but she could _smell_ the magic that was in the air.

“Jareth, quit with the evasive games and just show yourself.” She said with her eyes still closed.

She then opened them; almost expecting to see a lush, green summer forest around her, but no, the cold, dark campus was all that was there. Then, there was a sudden whoosh sound made by large wings overhead, it made her jump and she spun about in time to see a barn owl sweeping by her and over the campus, making for a small grotto of trees.

Her eyes followed its flight path, and her heart was a mixture of excitement and worry. “Jareth.” She said quietly.

“No. Just a normal avian with _amazing_ timing.” A familiar, amused voice said from behind her.

Sarah yelped and turned around to find Jareth, dressed in the black attire he had worn the night she met him; his arms folded casually over his chest, grinning at her. His cloak billowed in the wind, and that cinnamon/earthy smell from before came wafting over to her. She breathed it in deeply, her cheeks blushing ever so slightly when she let out an unintentional sigh. She struggled to regain her composure, standing straighter and placing a hand on her hip to display annoyance at his appearance.

“Twice in less than twenty-four hours? Aren’t I a lucky duck?” She tried her best to keep her voice monotone, though her heart was pounding against her chest.

“Many only wish they could be so lucky, my sweet.” Jareth flashed his arrogant grin at her, cocking his head as he took her in with his eyes. “Winter is a damnable waste of your lovely figure, Sarah. Too many layers. Shall I take us someplace a little warmer, and requiring less garb?

Sarah glared, and chose to ignore his comment. “So, why are you here?” she wrapped her arms around herself again, trying to ignore the returning cold breeze.

Jareth gave her a look of false shock, “I believe, my dear that it was _you_ who asked for _me_. Also, as I remember, it wasn’t _I_ who was having the little peep show last night.” He flashed his devious smile at her again, stepping closer.

“Number one: I asked you to show yourself, because I knew you were already _here_ , you creep. Number two: I didn’t _know_ I had somehow stumbled on to some weird Fae communication channel… which, by the way, I deserve some answers about. There’s been a lot of weird things happening to me in this last year, and I have a sneaking suspicion that you’re at ground zero.” Sarah shivered.

Jareth’s grin grew wider, “You look cold, darling. You must be freezing in this weather. Shall I warm you up? It would be my pleasure to assist you in _any_ way I can.”

He closed what was left of the gap between them and she could feel the warmth radiating off of him. His eyes were fixed upon Sarah’s with an intensity she found compelling; she did not retreat from his advance. The air seemed to crackle around him from his magic and power, and she fought the desire to fall in to his embrace and soak up his warmth and smell.

“I…,” Sarah answered. “I…”

“Shall I take that as an invitation?” He chuckled, extending an arm and running a gloved hand along her jaw line.

Sarah’s lips parted involuntarily. With a teasing smile, Jareth watched her face. She half swooned and he smiled a little more. She was torn, she wasn’t going to deny that he was goddamned _seductive_. He knew the secret places of her mind and imagination; he knew about her dreams.

She shook her head and gently slapped his hand away. “Don’t try and do that seductive, distracting thing! It won’t work.”

“I beg to differ. It _does_ and it did.” He stared down at her confidently.

“You’re avoiding the question.” She snapped back.

“You didn’t ask one.” He replied, teasingly.

Sarah brought a hand up to her face and pinched the upper bridge of her nose in annoyance. She let out a flustered sigh, and then after a moment, brought her eyes back up to his.

“What is happening to me? Why am I seeing things that aren’t there” She asked as calmly as she could.

“You aren’t,” he replied. “They are _absolutely_ there, and you are _absolutely_ seeing them. You’re seeing things from my world bleed through in to yours.”

“Why?” There was a trace of fear to her voice.

Jareth flinched, and there was the merest hint of fear fleeting across his eyes. His nostrils tightened and he appeared to hesitate slightly before regaining composure and answering her, he wasn’t going to give it _all_ away yet.

“You’re a clever woman, Sarah. You solved my Labyrinth, you defeated me, and that is something no one else in this world or mine could ever boast of. Think about it. How did you defeat me? Hmm? With the help of a book, yes? Words have power, precious. You know this better than anyone else; words can also be _dangerous_ if you don’t pay careful attention.” He took a few steps back from her then.

Sarah furrowed her brow. “I don’t understand. You’re speaking in riddles!”

Jareth spoke levelly, raising one elegant eyebrow. “Have you ever heard of the term, ‘Forbidden Fruit’? I believe there is a rather interesting story in one of those books humans have about an apple and a snake? A clever take on very _old_ Fae lore. They had to get it from somewhere, of course. There are quite a few books that have been influenced and written about my world and it’s people. Most of it is absolute piffle, but _some_ things are true. Those who have been there and returned know things about Fae that others could never dream; as you yourself know, Sarah. My point is, sweet… for someone as admittedly clever as you are, and who loves fairytales so much; you _really_ weren’t paying all that much attention to their lessons, were you? Perhaps you should delve in to a little _extracurricular_ reading… sooner than later.”

The air around them warmed again, and she looked on as Jareth stepped further back, the smile returning to his lips.

“That’s it?!” She yelled at him, “ _That’s my answer?_ That is _not_ fair, Jareth!”

She made to run towards him, grab hold of his Royal Smugness and _demand_ some real answers, but he was already fading, and by the time she got to where he had been standing, all that remained was the echo of his infuriating laughter in the air. She let out a frustrated growl, and kicked the ground for want of something to release the anger and annoyance she was feeling. She stared around her for a moment before the cold settling back in motivated her to move, and return to the warmth and comfort of her dorm room. Once she had closed the door, she peeled off her coat and tossed it on to the foot of her bed; she switched her clothes for an old t-shirt and some warm, fleece pajama bottoms, and crawled beneath her covers.

Sarah’s mind was in a whirlwind as she stared up at her ceiling. What was it with Fae people and _never_ giving you a direct answer? Jareth did love to toy with her, on _every_ level. Everything was always a damn _game_ to him! That crude, infuriating, _sexy_ , glittering sprite! _Forbidden fruit… rules… fairytales._ Her inner monologue repeated this over and over again. Well, she had some clues at least, and she knew exactly where she was going to start her search for answers in the morning. She had all damn day. Longer, if that’s what it was going to take to get some _real_ answers.


	8. Gasoline

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gah! This took longer to finish than expected. Not for lack of trying, but I was swamped with finals at school since Winter quarter has come to a close. I had intended this chapter to go a different way, but as usallu happens, these things have a mind of their own and write themselves. I hope you enjoy it, and now that I have a bit of a break before Spring quarter starts, i will be using this time to get the next chapter (which I've already started) hammered out and uploaded. That being said: READ ON! ;)

_“Are you deranged like me?_

_Are you strange like me?_

_Lighting matches just to swallow up the flame like me?_

_Pointing fingers ‘cause you’ll never take the blame like me?_

_And all the people say_

_You can’t wake, for this is not a dream_

_You’re part of a machine,_

_You are not a human being._

_With your face all made up living on a screen_

_Low on self-esteem, so you run on gasoline_

_Oh, I think there’s a fault in my code_

_Oh, these voices won’t leave me alone_

_Well my heart is gold, but my hands are cold.”_

_-Gasoline by Halsey._

 

Sarah awoke from sleep in the morning, and instantly felt sick to her stomach. She inhaled a few deep breaths and closed her eyes, waiting for the nausea to pass. She was beginning to wonder if this wasn’t somehow related to Jareth as well. Her eyes flew open. Oh, god! She wasn’t _pregnant_ , was she? No… don’t be so stupid, she chided herself, she’d never had sex with him… well, not _actually_. Dreams didn’t count, did they? No, no unless Immaculate Conception was a real thing, and she highly doubted that. It wasn’t that, she concluded, but whatever is was, she was going to find out… as soon as she could get the hell up out of this god damned bed. After about 10 minutes, the sick feeling subsided enough for her to sit up, though she could still feel the fluttering in her stomach, warning her that if she wasn’t careful and went slow, she was going to have to make a dive for the trashcan, or sprint to the nearest sink or toilet.

After a few more moments, she felt it was safe to stand, and gingerly stood up. She walked to her dresser and pulled out a pair of jeans, a comfortable t-shirt, and her purple UW sweater. She pulled them all on, and grabbed a comfortable pair of tennis shoes, since she was going to be trekking it by foot today. She wasn’t going to have to go too far, nothing far enough that would call for a bus or cab, but she threw some extra change in to her messenger bag, just in case.

She went and stood in front of the mirror above her dresser, running a brush through her hair while she mulled over the events of last night. Jareth had seemed afraid, or at least hesitant to tell her something. He had smoothed over his face quick enough, but not so quick that she didn’t notice. This had to be something big… something important, why else would he be afraid to tell her out-right? She stared at her reflection in the mirror, mechanically stroking the brush through her long dark hair; all the while repeating those three words from last night in her head: _Forbidden fruit, rules, fairytales… Forbidden fruit, rules, fairtales… Forbidden fr-_ She seized up, her hand stopping mid stroke through her hair, as her brain connected the unseen dots. Her hand absentmindedly let go of the brush, and it dropped with a soft thud to the carpeted floor.

“The _peach_!” she blurted out loud, her eyes widening in realization.

Her mind whirled as she recalled a line from an old fairytale book she had read as a child, about a young girl, traveling to fairyland to save her mother from a fatal illness. The warning came from a Faun she had befriended, who was helping her.

_“Remember, while you are in the world of Fae it is important that you should never eat or drink **anything** you see, find, or that is offered to you. If you do, you will never again be able to go home. If you do… you will rot away in minutes and turn to ash the moment your foot steps on to mortal soil again. You will never be able to leave fairyland!”_

She sank down in to the chair next to the dresser, her body suddenly feeling very limp and numb. She had taken a bite from that peach that Hoggle had given her… that Jareth had given to _him_ so he would offer it to her. She had been so tired and so very hungry, she hadn’t thought about the consequences. She had thought that its purpose had been to send her in to that crystal vision, and to Jareth… but it had obviously done _so_ much more than that, hadn’t it? What exactly, she still didn’t know. The fairytale story she recalled wasn’t completely right, that much was clear. She hadn’t rotted away and died the moment she and Toby went home from the labyrinth, so the story was only a half-truth. How could she be so damn _stupid_? But it wasn’t like she thought there was any truth to a fairytale story! Just like she hadn’t thought that the labyrinth was real, and that the Goblin King wasn’t real. She had thought that the world of Fae was nothing more than a fantasy world, a place she had desired in her dreams, but never really believed was real. It was all just a story in a book… words on paper! _“Words have power, Sarah.”_ She heard Jareth’s voice echoing in her mind.

Sarah’s shock began turning to anger, and she glared at the mirror in front of her, as though she could will it to connect to him somehow. She may not know exactly how she connected with him before, but she was pretty damn sure he was listening and/or watching.

“You smug, feathered, _jackass_! You knew all along.” She huffed.

She stood up, snatching her messenger back and slinging it over her shoulder and heading towards the door. She cast a backward glaring glance over her shoulder at the mirror again, before exiting her room.

The sky was back to a cloud-covered grey, and a slight drizzle was coming down. Sarah flipped her hood up, tucking her hair up in to it. She was getting used to the rain, she even welcomed it. Rainy days were a good excuse for staying snuggled up in bed, reading, getting lost in the fantasy worlds within the pages of a book. Books were what she was going to use to figure out this problem of hers now, she was headed to her favorite place in Seattle, a little new/used book store right here in University District. The area in Seattle surrounding the University of Washington. There were all kinds of great hangouts and hole-in-the-wall coffee shops and dinning spots. And the student life was thriving here, day and night. Sarah had hunted down the nearest and best bookstores within walking distance almost as soon as she had dropped her bags off in her dorm room, and her favorite was “Turn the Page” a bookstore that housed the most eclectic collection of new and used books Sarah had ever seen. The owner and manager of it, was a kindly, eccentric woman by the name of Vivian. She was as multifarious as the books she bought and sold.

As Sarah walked the four blocks to the shop; the rain had begun to pick up, and while it was still fairly light, the darkening clouds above promised a torrential downpour in the very near future. She passed a small bakery, it’s door open, letting the mouthwatering smells from within waft to the outside. She froze for a moment when she smelled the distinct scent of cinnamon. She felt the deep rooted fluttering in her lower abdomen of arousal, as she thought about Jareth. How much she had wanted to fall in to his arms last night, how the touch of his hand, even with the glove on send a raging jolt of desire and passion through her whole body. She had half hoped that he would lean down and kiss her then; her lips had parted in anticipation of it, and she believed he probably would have had she encouraged him a little more. She had kissed him and so much more in her dreams and fantasies, and they had _felt_ real, but it wasn’t the real thing. It wasn’t his actual lips… his hands, or his-

“Excuse me, Miss.” A male voice said, apologetically has he bumped in to her, and threw her off balance and derailed her thoughts.

“Oh! Sorry!” she blurted out as she tried to regain her footing.

Sarah recovered, and turned to look at the stranger, But the man standing before her, was not a man at all… not a human anyway. His clothes were right enough, but his face was all wrong. His skin had a copper sheen to it, god-damned metallic, actually. His hair was a stark white in contrast. His facial structure was very chiseled, and he would have been ethereally beautiful, if it weren’t for his eyes. They were like those of a snake’s, and there color a deep, unsettling red. When he spoke, the tongue that flickered in and out of his mouth was also serpentine.

“You shouldn’t be standing in the middle of the sidewalk like that, you’re likely to get trampled.” He grinned, and it made him look all the more terrifying. “Case in point.”

He extended a hand for a polite introduction, and Sarah recoiled, stumbling backwards until her back slammed against the wall of the bakery.

“Don’t touch me! What are you doing here? You don’t _belong_ here!” she stared at him wide- eyed.

The man’s face contorted in to a look of perplexed wariness, and he slowly drew his hand back, taking a step closer.

“What? Miss, are you okay? I don’t understand what you’re talking about.” His eyebrows furrowed.

Sarah stared hard at him, she shook her head and rubbed her eyes. When she looked at him again, her heart sank a little when she saw that the snake-like creature was no longer standing in front of her, just an ordinary looking guy… maybe early 30’s. There was nothing non-human about him.

“I’m… I’m sorry.” She stumbled over her words. “I thought you were- nevermind. I’m just… I’m sorry. Please, excuse me.”

She ducked away from him and the building, gripping her bag tightly with both hands as she set off at a much quicker pace than before for the bookstore. When she reached the familiar old building, with it’s large, paint flaked wooden door, she paused to breathe a little sigh of relief, and to help steady her nerves before entering. She grabbed hold of the old brass door knob and pushed the heavy, ancient wooden door with her shoulder. It made a soft groan as it swung in slowly, the tinkling of bells sounding off overhead.

Vivian was sitting in her usual spot at the front counter next to the register, her hands cupping a large, purple ceramic coffee mug; while she poured over an opened book in front of her. She glanced up, pushing her wavy, auburn red hair out of her face. She smiled warmly when she saw that it was Sarah who was standing on her threshold.

Sarah stood where she was for a moment, taking a deep breath. The smell of old and new books, mixed with the dusty aroma that only very old buildings managed to emit. It was intoxicating. The floorboards creaked under her feet as she meandered to the counter, throwing her hoodie back and letting her dark locks flow free. She and Vivian had swiftly become friends, and even though she was 20 years Sarah’s senior, she felt a kinship with the older woman and often came around in her free time to help Vivian stock and catalog books. Vivian allowed Sarah to read any book she wanted in the store, and even sometimes borrow books to take home. She was always so very careful with them, even the paperbacks.

“Hey Viv.” Sarah smiled and plopped her messenger bag down next to the register.

Vivian beamed, “Hey yourself, Sarah. Looks like there’s one hell of a storm brewing outside. You here for business or pleasure?” she bookmarked the page she was reading and closed the book with a soft thump.

“Mmm… business, mostly.” Sarah peeled off her hoodie, as the temperature inside the bookstore was comfortably warm.

Vivian moved out from behind the counter and gave Sarah a warm, friendly hug. “Whatcha’ in the market for, exactly?”

“I’m looking for books on the Fae. More specifically mythology and lore.” Sarah responded.

“So, nothing from the children’s section, then? You’re not talking fairytales?” Vivian grabbed a ledger off the counter and riffled through it.

Sarah shook her head, “No. Nothing like that. I mean actual stories about Fae. The real stuff.”

Vivian cast a mocking look at her, before glancing back down at the ledger “Well, that’s sort of an oxymoron isn’t it? By the _real stuff,_ I assume you mean the nitty-gritty lore from Europe? The non-watered down versions full of blood, sex and violence?” She flipped a few more pages and then tapped her finger on the paper, finding what she was looking for. “Yup, here we go. I’ve got a few old volumes that are translations from ancient Gaelic folk-lore. Pretty dark stuff in them. Funny how the Fae went from dangerous, God-like, sacrificial, and sex-charged to freakin’ fairy dust, flower hats, and rainbows. This for school? You writing an essay or something?”

Vivian turned and took off down the row of books, her face locked in determination. Sarah followed behind her, shadowing her.

“Yeah, sort of." she lied. "Some extracurricular reading. We’re doing A Midsummer Nights Dream for the winter play. It just… got me a bit curious on some of the older stories about the Fae. You know… character development.” she lauhghed a little, nervously.

Vivian found the isle she was looking for, and ran her hands along the spins of some books, muttering the tittles under her breath until she found what she was looking for.

“Ah! Here we go! This should have everything you need.” She pulled on a very old, worn leather book and took it down, presenting it to Sarah. “Did you want to buy it or borrow? Normally, something as old and rare as this, I wouldn’t allow out of the shop, but for you…”

“No, if it’s alright I’d actually like to just scan over it here. I’m free until rehearsals this evening.” Sarah carefully took the book and tucked it under her arm.

Vivian’s hazel eyes sparkled with amusement. She was a very upbeat, outgoing person and Sarah couldn’t recall ever seeing her in a bad mood. “Sure, sweetheart. That would be fine by me. You can take the stool behind the counter and read to your heart’s content. In fact, if you don’t mind holding down the fort for me for a little while, I’ll go make a coffee run for us. There’s also a few things I need to drop off in the mail box down the street.”

Sarah grinned, “Sure. No problem, Viv.”

The older woman nodded and ducked behind the counter, producing a small stack of enveloped and a parcel. “Any special beverage requests?” she asked while she threw on a raincoat and gathered up her things.

Sarah thought for a moment, and smiled crookedly. “Something with cinnamon, in it. I’ve been craving it since last night.”

Vivian saluted her, “Roger that.” And headed for the door. “You know the drill if someone comes in. I don’t think I need to remind you.” She winked at Sarah before sliding out the door, the wind had picked up, and her raincoat was billowing around her as she took off down the street.

Sarah opened the book, and began skimming the chapter tittles. She found the section she was looking for and flipped the pages over rapidly until she came to it.

 _“ON MORTALS AND THE WORLD OF FAE._ ” The chapter title read.

She began reading, her focus entirely on the book now. The weather outside was growing steadily worse, and the lights of the old building flickered, but Sarah took no notice. She had found what she was looking for. She read on, and then her eyes widened as she found a particular paragraph:

_“Lore has been passed around that when a mortal is in the world of Fae, if he/she eats or drinks anything not brought in to the land with them from the mortal realm, the effects would be gruesome upon that person’s return. Many have said that the human in question will die upon setting a single foot on mortal soil. This is not entirely true, however. Food and drink from Fae is hardly dangerous to the Fae themselves, but were it consumed by a human, the effects of such is that of immortality. In so much that the human blood that runs through their veins will begin to transform, and they will eventually become one of the Fae themselves. Unless they are made aware of this and choose immortality and to stay in the land of Fae, that mortal will surely sicken and die over time upon returning to the human world; for the Fae people cannot long survive in the realm outside their own. They must always return, else the consequences will result in death. There must be a choice made then, to remain in the human world and surely wither and die, or return to the Fae realm, and make the transition complete.”_

The lights flickered again, and Sarah glanced up from the book. Her mind was blank. Empty. Too shocked to think of anything. The color had drained from her already pale face and her green eyes saw nothing. As the information slowly sank in, her thoughts began to sputter to life again. The sick feelings she had on and off, the bleed-throughs… she wasn’t turning mad… she was turning _FAE!_ The nightmare she had dreamed of the night before was suddenly all too present in her mind. Would she turn in to some creature like that? Or a goblin? Would she sprout wings or scales?… would she truly _die_? This was all too much… too much to handle. Her eyes were welling up with tears of anger and fear. What would happen to her? Surely Jareth wouldn’t allow that? This wasn’t some punishment for defeating him, was it? _Oh god_ , she thought. _What the fuck am I going to do?_ The sick feeling returned to her stomach again, but this time she wasn’t sure if it was because of the peach, or because she was scared as hell.

“Jareth,” she said in a shaking voice to the empty shop around her. “Jareth, what have you done?”

There was a surge of energy as the lights shone brightly for half a second before they went out without a sound, and she was surrounded in darkness.


	9. In Your Room

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy crap! This chapter too me SO long to write! I hope the fact that this is a VERY long chapter helps to make up for the weeks it took me to write and finish it for you guys! I won't go in to a long-winded note, since I know that what you REALLY want to do right now is read the damn chapter. So, without any further ramblins... please, read on and I hope you enjoy it! :)

_“In your room_

_Your burning eyes_

_Cause flames to arise_

_Will you let the fire die down soon?_

_Or will I always be here?_

_Your favorite passion_

_Your favorite game_

_Your favorite mirror_

_Your favorite slave_

_I’m hanging on your words_

_Living on your breath_

_Feeling with your skin_

_Will I always be here?_

_Will I always be here?”_

_\- In Your Room by Depeche Mode._

 

Sarah jumped as the bells above the door chimed, Vivian hurling herself inside and pushing the heavy door closed with some effort as the wind pulled against it. She huffed loudly, running her fingers through her red hair, trying to repair the damage the wind had done to it.

“Jesus Christ, this is whipping up to be a hell of storm, power is out all over the city apparently. We haven’t even seen the worst of it yet.” She stood up from the door she was leaning on and walked towards Sarah. “Sorry I didn’t make it to the coffee shop, I barely got the mail out before the power went out and this gale storm kicked up.”

Sarah closed the book with a shaky hand, trying her best to smile. “That’s okay, Viv. I… I think I’m wired up enough without the help of coffee.”

Vivian did a double take on her, and squinted her eyes. “You okay, sweetie? You look like you’ve seen a ghost. Power outage freak you out?”

Sarah ran a hand through her hair nervously, “Yeah, I guess. I was a little involved with what I was reading, is all.”

Vivian nodded, “Did you find what you were looking for?”

Sarah laughed ruefully, “Yeah… I think so. Look, I think I’m gonna just head home. I have a feeling there won’t be any rehearsals tonight and I could use a little R & R.”

Vivian cast an unsure look at her, and rubbed Sarah’s arm reassuringly. “You sure, sweetie? You don’t look good, and I don’t mean that to sound insulting-“

“No, really… I appreciate the concern, but I’m okay, Viv. I swear. I just need to rest, and it’s probably best I head back to the dorms before this storm gets _really_ ugly.” Sarah reached over and grabbed her sweater, pulling it back on, and then picked up her bag, slinging it back over her shoulder.

As she turned to leave, Vivian grabbed her arm, gently turning her around to face her again. Sarah furrowed her brow in confusion. The look on the older woman’s face was full of concern.

“Sarah,” Vivian said with some hesitation, she paused and opened her mouth to continue, but then closed it.

“Viv?” Sarah prodded.

Vivian looked deeply in to her eyes, and grasped her with both hands around the shoulders. “Sarah… sometimes, the way forward… is the way _back_.”

The color drained from Sarah’s face as she looked at Vivian. Her body began to tremble slightly. “Wh-what?” she said shakily. “Where did you hear that… how-“

Vivian’s eyes steeled over a bit, and she gripped Sarah a little tighter. “Because I’ve been there, too.” She said. “I’ve been to Fae, and _you_ , Sarah… you are more than what you appear to be, aren’t you? I sensed it the first time you walked in to my store… your glamour is growing stronger. You’re not human… not entirely.”

Sarah’s knees felt weak, like they would buckle at any moment, and if Vivian hadn’t been holding her in such a firm grasp, she very well might have. “How can you know that?” Sarah’s voice was on the verge of breaking. “What are _you_?”

Vivian was searching her eyes intently, there was a long pause before she answered. “I’m a sidhe seer.”

Sarah’s face contorted in confusion. “A _what_?”

Vivian sighed, and loosened her grip on Sarah. Her eyes softened, and she rubbed a hand over her forehead. “Maybe we should sit down. There’s a lot to talk about… from the both of us. I’ve got some candles in the back of the store, wait here and I’ll get them.”

She released Sarah and turned, walking off around the counter and disappearing behind a door. Sarah couldn’t have moved if she had wanted to, her feet seemed glued to the spot while her head felt numb and fuzzy. This day wasn’t exactly going the way she had thought it would and she was too lost in confusion and mental exhaustion to do anything but stand where she was. Vivian returned a few minutes later carrying a few slim candlesticks, a candelabra and a box of matches. She set the bundle down on the counter and placed the candles in the holders, the smell of sulfur wafted over to Sarah’s nose as she lit each one. Vivian let out a sigh and came back over to gently grab one of Sarah’s hands, leading her to the counter. She sat down on the stool behind the register and Vivian dragged another one out from under the counter. The warm, flickering light from the flames cast shadows across their faces and the wall behind them, the rest of the shop remained in shadows save for the grey light coming through the window. It was hard to believe that it was barely mid-day outside, and the wind was rattling against the old glass windows. Vivian took a moment to settle herself, and reached across the counter to grab one of Sarah’s hands in a reassuring gesture.

“I’m not a Fae,” she said softly. “A sidhe-seer is a human who has the gift of seeing creatures and people from the world of Fae. The light and the dark. It’s almost always genetic, passed down from parent to child; though not always active. Sometimes it seems to skip a generation or two, lying dormant in the blood. I’m not sure how sidhe-seers came in to being, there are several different tales about it and none that can be proven with actual facts. A common belief is that they all stem from a Fae who fell in love with a human, and that human bore a child, thus starting the sidhe-seer line. It’s certainly a very romantic idea.”

Sarah was staring at Vivian, transfixed and a little frightened as well. “And you got it from your parents? You’ve had this your while life?”

Vivian nodded slowly, “My mother was one too. She was from Ireland. They’re much more open to the supernatural there, and there are many who still believe in the Fae… even honor them with gifts and trinkets, carrying on old traditions. The Fae were once worshiped as Gods, you know? My mother used to tell me stories about them when I was a little girl, most children are led to believe in fairytales when they are little, but as they age, time and maturity affords no room for such things. Part of being an adult is keeping your feet firmly planted in reality. But how can you dismiss it, when you know and are raised to understand that fairytales _are_ reality? That the creatures we see in our dreams, and even our nightmares, are true? This was how I was raised. I could see them as clearly as my mother could, and I was not afraid of them… not the ones that came around our home, anyway. The Fae are drawn to Sidhe-seers, you see. Like moths to a flame, they can sense us. They often times will seek us out. Out of curiosity, mostly.”

Vivian paused and turned her head, her gaze cast over the flickering flames on the candle sticks. Her eyes unfocused for a moment, and Sarah recognized that far-away look that she herself often displayed. After a moment, Vivian blinked and turned her gaze back to Sarah. She ran a hand along her red, wavy hair, fidgeting with it to help calm her nerves. She smiled kindly at Sarah and continued.

“There was one such Fae creature that found me and befriended me when I was just shy of ten years old. He was a young Faun- You know what a faun is, yes?” Vivian squinted her eyes slightly.

Sarah nodded, trying to picture it in her head. A human from the waist up, and the back- end of a goat from the waist down. “Like Mr. Tumnus in _The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe._ ” She stated matter-of-factly.

Vivian’s eyes sparkled with amusement, and she couldn’t help the small burst of laughter that followed. “Yes,” she said through the hand she had placed over her mouth to try to suppress the giggles. “Like Mr. Tumnus. Though not quite so tame as all that. They’re a lot wilder and more unpredictable… not vicious, just… well, Fae. I’ve only ever encountered one Fae that was evil. Most are good, actually. Though, the definition of a _good_ fae and what we would consider good, is up for debate. I guess it depends on your point of view.”

“How do you know the bad ones from the good?” Sarah asked. Her thoughts were flickering to Jareth. He certainly _seemed_ evil at times. Though how much of that was truth, and how much of it was her own childhood naiveness? Things always appeared more black and white when you were younger, but maturity and experience often showed that there was a considerable amount of grey area in between. Not everything, or everyone was what they seemed. Case in point, this unexpected turn of events.

“Oh, you can _sense_ it.” Vivian’s lip curled in disgust. “They’re horrible things. They rot the very air and earth around them, and while some are _very_ good at casting glamour spells to _appear_ beautiful and enticing, there is no mistaking the feel of something that dark in your presence. Especially if you are attuned to it.”

No way Jareth was something that evil, Sarah thought. He may be a villain at times, and selfish no doubt, but evil? No. Though she supposed that might depend on who you asked.

“Your friend, the faun-“ Sarah started to say.

“Brin.” Vivian interrupted with a smile. “His name was Brin.” Sarah almost smiled a little herself, “Brin.” She confirmed. “Did he take you to the Underground? To Fae?”

Vivian’s brow drew up a little. “He took me to Fae, yes. But not to the Underground. That’s just a name for a part of Fae, there are _many_ parts to the Fae world, Sarah. You should know that… have _you_ been to the Underground?”

Sarah hesitated for just a moment, seeing the look in Vivian’s eyes. “Well… yes. Jareth took me there when-“

“ _JARETH_?” Vivian’s eyes widened at hearing his name, and she nearly jumped off the stool she was perched upon. “The Goblin King? You know the Goblin King?”

Sarah was a little surprised by her outburst. “Um, Yes.” _In some ways, I know him better than anyone, I think._ She thought privately to herself. “You know him too?”

Vivian opened and closed her mouth in shock a few times before she could find her voice again. “I know _of_ him. I have never met him. He is _very_ well known to all the Fae… he’s one of the high rulers. His realm spans to larger areas than just his famous Labyrinth. You know that _The Goblin King_ is just a nickname, right? It was coined up because of all the children he used to take and turn in to goblins. Children wished away by unthinking siblings or parents, back when there were those who really believed in the magic of Fae.”

A sick feeling was churning in Sarah’s stomach when she asked, “Is he… one of the evil Fae?”

Vivian shook her head slightly, “Evil? No. Not that I have ever heard. He is, however, regarded as being rather _unpredictable_. He is _feared_ by many in Fae. Jareth serves Jareth, from what I understand. How did _you_ come to meet him, Sarah? I can sense a glamor about you… but you aren’t a full blooded Fae.”

Sarah took a deep breath rubbed her eyes with the base of her palms. Vivian had confessed a lot of things, it was only fair that she reciprocate. But where to begin? How much should she tell her? She decided to start where this all had really started; when she herself was a small child. She suspected that she was possibly a sidhe-seer herself, after hearing Vivian describe it. What else could she have been? She wasn’t a Fae… well, not before she ate the fucking peach, anyway. She wondered if Jareth had been aware of her then? Long before she had wished Toby away. She looked Vivian in the eyes again sincerely, and took another deep intake of breath. “Have you ever heard of a little book called, _The Labyrinth?_ ” She asked.

Vivian nodded slowly.

Sarah huffed. “Well, I guess it all starts there, with that book I read more times than I could recount as a child... I thought it was just that. A harmless book.”

Sarah told Vivian everything. All about the fae she saw as a child, but that her parents and even she herself had just summed up as vivid childhood imagination. The book called _The Labyrinth_ , and her infatuation with The Goblin King. She a little embarrassingly confessed about the night she had wished Toby away to him, how she had thought up until that point that he and the fairy realm were nothing more than flights of fancy. A dream she had held on to since childhood as an escape from a world and family who she felt at times, didn’t understand her. Not really. When her mother had left her father for another man, and left the child and life she had behind for flights of grandeur, and her father had married a women who was the complete opposite of her mother, and whom she often clashed with. Sarah told Vivian about her deal with Jareth, to solve his infamous Labyrinth in order to win her brother back. How she had defeated him, when no one else ever had. She even regaled a little about the dreams she had had, (thought she kept out the explicit content. She didn’t feel that Vivian needed to know _that_ much.) and the ever increased sickness and bleed-throughs she was experiencing. When she had finished, Vivian was staring at her, flabbergasted.

“How? How can you be having episodes like this? That doesn’t explain the fact that you have a damn glamour! Humans don’t have glamours, not even sidhe-seers.” Vivian proclaimed, searching Sarah’s face.

Sarah bit her lip and glanced down at the counter. “Well, you see… there was a point in the Labyrinth when I was given a peach by my friend, Hoggle…”

Vivian gasped and raised a hand to her mouth. “Sarah! You didn’t!” she hissed.

Sarah glanced up at her, a little ashamed. “I.. I didn’t know that it was given to him by Jareth. That it was more than just a spell to send me in to his crystal visons.”

After a moment, Vivian removed her had from her mouth, thought her eyes were still wide with shock. “So…” she said slowly. “You’re turning in to a Fae. You’re becoming one of them and that’s why all this is happening to you. Oh, Sarah! You had to know that that was cardinal rule number one! You never eat or drink _anything_ offered to you while in the fairy realm, unless _you_ bring it in with you. The consequences are… severe.”

“Yeah, well, I know that _now_.” She retorted in annoyance. “But what am I supposed to do? How do I fix this?”

Vivian shook her head and sighed. “I don’t know that you can. I’ve never heard of something like this before, outside of old tales in stories. None that I read ever discussed how to reverse it. As far as I know you can’t… and if you stay here, if you don’t go back… you’re going to get a lot sicker. Sweetheart… you’ll die.” She nearly choked on the words.

Neither one of them spoke then. The silence only broken by the howling of the wind, and now, the patter of the rain against the windows and the pavement. The candles had burned half-way down by now, the wax pooling and dripping on to the wooden counter.

Finally Vivian spoke again. “Would it really be so bad to go back? You only saw one small part of the entirety of Fae. I haven’t seen all of it myself, but Brin and I explored many places within it, and there are some places there, Sarah, who’s beauty no words ever written could fully describe. There are frequent times when I wish I could return…” her voice faded as she spoke this last statement.

Sarah furrowed her eyebrows. “Why can’t you? What about Brin?”

Vivian’s expression darkened and her eyes welled up with tears when she responded. “As I said earlier… some of the Fae are quite evil, Sarah. They are some of the cruelest creatures in existence. As I said before, Brin took me to many places around Fae, there were places there that even he had never been to. The world is vast, and there are still places that have yet to even be discovered. We wanted to find them together, and it was in pursuit of one of those places where we met one of the foulest Fae monarchs to ever haunt the nightmares of immortals and humans alike; the Snow Queen. She has a lot of power, enough to make herself look like the most beautiful woman you had ever laid eyes upon… oh, but her real face is a _hideous_ , disgusting sight. She uses peppermint to cover up the rotting smell of her foul magic. Brin and I discovered who and what she really was all too late, and she caught us in her web. _She hates humans_ , and said that he must be punished for betraying the Fae by bringing one in to her world and sharing their secrets. She was going to kill him… but I begged for his life. I told her I would do anything to save him. She agreed, and said that instead I would suffer the punishment for him. I thought she was going to kill me, but no... instead she said that I must return to the human world. That I could never again set foot in Fae. The doors would be shut to me for the rest of my life. In return for this, Brin would be let go, allowed to live. But I was forever afterwards cut off from their world, and he from me. Denying me my friend and the world I love was more than enough punishment. I fell deep in to books then, they were my escape from reality and in a way, a small window in to the world I lost and miss dearly.”

Sarah wiped away the little tears that had formed in the corner of her eyes, and sniffed. “I know what you mean. I haven’t been back since the night I won back my little brother. A part of me misses it… missed the world and the strange beauty of it all.” _And I miss him_ she thought, but refused to say that out loud.

Vivian patted her hand and smiled a little. “I know you understand, sweetie. We’re kind of like kindred souls, you and I. Here it is 1989 and we’re both still stuck in Wonderland.” She winked.

“I think Wonderland seemed more reasonable that any of this does.” Sarah smiled.

Vivian rolled her eyes. “Yeah, well… I was your age in the 60’s. Back then, depending on where you were and who you were with, hallucinations were just hunky-dory.”

There was a bright flash as lightning illuminated the dark grey sky outside, causing eerie highlights to their faces and the old bookstore.

“I’ve got to get back to the dorms.” Sarah sighed. “It’s getting _really_ ugly out there.” She stood up and shouldered her bag again, giving Vivian a sullen look. “Thanks, Vivian. For everything.”

Vivian stood up with her and crossed around the counter to give her a big, warm hug. She pulled away and looked deep in to Sarah’s eyes. “What are you going to do?”

Sarah gave a defeated shrug and shook her head, “I honestly don’t know.” She gave an unenthusiastic half smile and turned to leave. “I’m very sorry about your friend.” She said over her shoulder as she pried open the shop door and stepped out in to the gale storm. Vivian watched her go, and as she did a single tear fell down her cheek.

 

…………………………………………

 

Sarah burst in to her dorm room, absolutely drenched. She looked like she had taken a swim in the pool fully clothed. She was shivering while she stripped off her sopping wet clothes. They made a squishing sound as they flopped to the floor of her room. It was times like this that she was glad she had a small room all to herself; she only wished the bathrooms here were the same deal. She pulled on some dry, clean panties and grabbed her favorite pare of flannel loose fitting pajama bottoms, pulling on a comfy black tank top over it. She wrung out her long hair and picked up a brush from the top of her dresser, working to untangle the snags that the wind and rain had so artfully created.

She sat down on the side of her bed, flicking the switch of the lamp on the nightstand beside her out of habit, and sighing with mild annoyance when it didn’t come on. Idiot, she thought to herself, remembering that the power had gone out hours ago, and judging by the building storm, wouldn’t be back on for a while. She guessed the time to be somewhere in the early afternoon, but the sky was darkening as the storm progressed. Sarah stood and went to the window beside her bed and stared out at the campus lawn below. The branches of the trees were bent and swaying violently, what little was left of leaves on the seasonal trees, were now long gone, blown away by the wild wind blowing across the campus. Her skin prickled with gooseflesh and she rubbed her hands along her folded arms, she felt like the cold had seeped in to her very bones. She went back to her bed again, lying down on her back, staring at the gloom outside. She wished the electricity was on, she wanted to curl up by the ancient electric heater in her room, she’d give just about anything to be warm and dry right now.

“Well, if it’s warmth you wish for, my sweet, you have only but to ask. As to the _dry,_ I must protest, I rather prefer you wet and… dripping.”

That familiar, deep, smooth laugh floated over her ears and she bolted up, coming face to face with Jareth, towering over her bed. That damnable smirk of his lighting up his face while his eyes visually caressed her body.

“ _YOU!_ ” Sarah snapped, standing up so quickly, she nearly fell over, and would have if it were not for Jareth’s hand shooting out to grab her arm and steady her. He was wearing the same black outfit with hints of sapphire from the night before, and though the hand holding her was gloved in softest leather, she could feel the electricity of his touch crackle through her skin. Her heart sped up, and she felt for just a second that she might swoon from the pleasure of it. That cinnamon spice smell filling her nostrils again.

Jareth was quite aware of the effect he was having on her, and she didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of any further loss of control on her part, so she took a deep breath and steeled her gaze as best she could, reminding herself why she was pissed off at him. She wrenched her arm out of his grasp, and his eyes flashed for just a moment, before regaining his placid gaze.

“You glittering, manipulating, _bastard_!” She growled as she glared up at him, “You gave me that peach and you turned me in to a fucking FAE! You knew exactly what it would do to me, didn’t you? _Didn’t you?_ ” she spat.

Jareth gave her a look of apathy, folding his arms across his chest. “I don’t recall forcing you to eat it, nor did I shove it down your throat. It was Hoggle who offered it to you, if you recall.”

“Because _you_ ordered him to! Didn’t you? He knew what it was and what it would do, he wouldn’t have done that if he hadn’t been forced to!” she sneered at him, letting her anger ride up to distract her from the other emotion welling up inside her… desire.

“Oh, he wouldn’t have, would he?” he snapped back. “You knew him for only a few hours, and yet you are so sure of his character? You seem to easily forget the creature he was when you first met. He was one of my more loyal subjects before you went traipsing through my labyrinth.”

“He changed!” she snapped back.

“Ha!” Jareth scoffed. “You make a lot of leeway for that dwarf, yet I am constantly pegged down as a villain in your eyes.”

“Well, when you go around _poisoning_ people with magic fruit…” Sarah muttered through gritted teeth. He was so fucking infuriating!

Jareth gave her a contemptuous look, which only angered her more, and her voice was shaking a little when she spoke again, “You just can’t handle the fact that I beat you! I bested you, and you just can’t deal with it! So you have to find a way to win! No matter the cost! No matter who or what gets broken in the process!”

Jareth kept his voice level when he responded, but his eyes betrayed the storm that was brewing inside him, something far darker, and more violent than the one brewing up outside, this Sarah was sure of. A voice in the back of her head was warning her of the very real danger she was stepping in by angering a Fae as powerful as Jareth was.

“Do not pretend to be ignorant to my reasons for doing what I felt I must, Sarah. You are not a _child_ anymore.” His eyes raked her up and down. “You know very well what my motives were for… what they have _always_ been for. Unlike you, I do not deny what I feel or what I want. I am a King of Fae, and I do not bend to the whims of anyone. Especially a silly little human. Yet I have done, since the very beginning, _everything_ you have wanted. It is not my fault if most of them were half-baked notions of a whining, simpering little _brat_.”

Sarah balked at the venom he dripped on that last word.

“Do you think I enjoyed being brought down so low by a mortal? Do you assume I simply appear to _every_ spoiled teenager who’s having a jealous fit of rage over their younger sibling? Do you think I take drooling, wailing children from their cribs on a regular basis? No. I made an exception for you, Sarah. As I have _always_ made exceptions for you. I could have been much crueler when you were trying to solve my labyrinth in the past. I made it easier for you than I ever would for another… as I told you, my dear… _I move the_ _stars_ _for_ _no one_!”

Sarah’s anger faltered for a moment, “But… the Goblins in your city-“

“I will not deny that I have taken children before.” He interrupted, “You are not the first to run my labyrinth, Sarah. You may be special, but you are not the center of it all. I took only what was asked to be taken, and they all got a fair chance to regain them back. Believe it or not, some actually chose not to. Happily allowed them to be taken. I am not a monster. I am fair enough to all who have ever called upon me.”

Sarah shook her head, “But you’re not! I won, I beat you. Why couldn’t you just let me go? Why did you have find a way to drag me back? If you cared as much about me as you say.. and as I feel you do… why couldn’t you just let me live my life? Move on? You’re always there! _Always_! Haunting me in my dreams and when i'm awake. Every time I think I can move forward and _not_ think about you, you pop up! In my dreams, as that god damned _owl_ … visions! You can’t stay away! You even ruined what could have been a really good relationship with a decent guy!”

Jareth’s eyed steeled over with a look that would have sent a rabid wolf running for the hills, he took an abrasive step in towards her and as he did, lightning flashed against the sky, illuminating their faces in a pale, eerie flash of light. Sarah wasn’t entirely sure that it wasn’t caused by Jareth himself, and not the storm.

“Do you think I took pleasure in watching you give yourself to that idiotic, simpering _boy_?” Jareth spat, “That I wouldn’t want to be _anywhere_ _else_ but there, watching him touch you with those bumbling, inexperienced hands? But no, I was beckoned by your subconscious wishes and desires. _Powerless_ against them! I told you, Sarah… I have always done as you wished! I have always done what you asked! Every time you have called, have wished for me, I have come.”

The hurt and shame in his eyes in that moment had thrown her off guard. Sarah was taken aback by the sudden flood of emotion he was emitting. She had never seen him lose this much control over them, be this open and vulnerable. She opened her mouth to retort, but found there was nothing to say. He was right. She could point the finger at him all she wanted, but she knew as well as he obviously did that those wishes and desires were from her own, deeply buried subconscious. He was right about another thing too, she wasn’t a child anymore. She couldn’t continue to hide behind excuses and place all the blame on him. Dammit.

Jareth brought his face down, mere inches from hers, his eyes were fixed on her with an intense glare of anger and passion. His voice lowered an octave and he all but growled when he spoke again. “You say that it is _I_ who am the villain, I who am the manipulator in your _pathetic_ story of victimization. You are always so quick to cast me as the monster. You do go on and have a titter about me hurting your _precious_ feelings, but you quite have a lark about dicking with _MINE!_ ”

She locked with his enraged gaze, surprised at the knots twisting around in her gut. She could feel the heat rolling off of him, smell the intoxicating scent of him and her lips parted involuntarily, a soft blush creeping in to her cheeks as her mind flickered with shadows of the dreams she had had of him. His eyes darted across her face, noticing the blush and the increased heaving of her chest as she breathed a little harder. He didn’t hesitate, and in a swift movement, pressed his lips to hers firmly. Sarah’s eyed widened in shock, but she didn’t pull away, didn’t push him back, and so he drew her in, snaking his arms around her. He enveloped her in his black cloak, the warmth of his body driving away the chill in her left by the downpour earlier. She bent in to him, pressing herself against him, and he took full advantage of the invitation, grasping her firmly behind her back with one hand, and sliding the other down her thigh and moving to her crotch. Sara grasped the front of his shirt in her fists, a quiet moan escaping her throat as his hand explored her. It occurred to her that she was actually kissing him this time, his very own hands were touching her, his solid body pressed to hers… the taste of him, this wasn’t one of her dreams or his crystal vision. This was real. This was happening. God, it was really him, sending electric tremors throughout her senses. He was already hard against her hip, and this seemed to drive her to the edge, she had to focus, dammit! If he thought that this confrontation was over, he was so wrong! How was she supposed to think clearly, though? Not if she allowed this to continue, that was for sure. Reluctantly, Sarah pulled away from his lips and stared into his eyes, mere inches from her own. He made a soft sound of disappointment at her stopping the kiss, and when she looked in to his eyes again, she pulled back with a little surprise.

“Oh!” She exclaimed softly, as she stared at them, “Your eyes…”

Jareth gave her an inquiring stare.

“I always thought they were two different colors… I.. I didn’t realize they were _both_ blue.” She said with a slight smile. Noticing up close that it only appeared that they were two different colors, because of the overly large pupil in one. But you could see the ice-blue rim around it from this close up. It just seemed to make him all the more fascinating, mysterious and other- worldly.

Jareth smirked and drew back a bit, “Yes, well… Hippogryphs are rather unpredictable creatures, with mood swings to rival any Fae. Getting caught in the crosshairs with one is… not something I would recommend.”

Sarah arched an eyebrow. “Is that what _really_ happened?”

He only smiled wider and his eyes sparkled with a “wouldn’t you like to know” gleam. He made to kiss her again, but she pulled back.

“If you think our discussion is over with, you are _so_ mistaken. You turned me in to a Fae!” Sarah glared at him.

He ran the back of a gloved hand along her cheek, “Not yet. But soon, yes. Which is why you must return with me to The Underground. You will die if you stay here, Sarah. I will not concede to losing you.”

Sarah sighed, and shook her head slowly. “But you took away my choice. I didn’t get a say in this, Jareth. You chose this… you can’t force someone against their will to be with you. That’s not love. I doubt very much that’s what you really want, either.”

Jareth frowned and released her from him, backing away a few steps. “You cannot deny that you feel the same way about me. I have seen your dreams, Sarah. Since before you even stepped foot in my Labyrinth, I have seen them. You string me along, tease and torment me… and I give you your every whim. I am _exhausted_ of them… I have been patient. I have allowed you _time_. I won’t wait any longer. You belong to me, Sarah. As much as I belong to you.”

“That’s not the _point_ , Jareth!” Sarah stepped closer to him, unable to deny the pull he had on her, she wanted to be closer to him.

He turned away from her, leaning on his arm against the wall next to the window, staring out at the blackening sky full of dark clouds. She had a point, god dammit. He could take her, right bloody now, if he wanted to. He knew it. She had to damn well know it… but would he really win? She would have to come with him willingly or no, but he would never _truly_ have her, would he? He did not wish for only a part of her, he wanted all of her… and that meant he would have to give her a chance… give her a choice. Yet, he was The Goblin King, was he not? Why not then, play this the way he would play anything else? He sighed and turned back around to face her, leaning his back now against the wall languorously.

“I _will_ give you a choice, Sarah.” He arched an eyebrow as he stared at her. “It is _possible_ to reverse the effects of the peach, but I will only do so… if you agree to run my Labyrinth again.”

Sarah scoffed at him, placing a hand on her hip. “Won’t that be a little redundant? I’ve already solved the Labyrinth.”

“Ah,” Jareth pushed himself off the wall and stepped up to her, “but this is _not_ the same Labyrinth from before, Sarah. Just as you are not the same girl. You have grown and changed and so too, you will find, has the Labyrinth. It’s a living, breathing thing, you see… and just like you, just like us all, it has both light and darkness within. It is no longer as innocent a place as you remember. Beware.”

“I don’t recall the cleaners, or the Fireys being all that innocent.” Sarah retorted.

“Child’s play, my dear. Compared to what awaits you when you enter now.” Jareth smiled down at her.

“Why would you have me run it, if it’s so dangerous?” Sarah asked. 

“I will not abandon you to its wonders and threats entirely, Sarah. I will not be that cruel. You will have the option of my help…four times. Four is an important number, you see. It represents the four elements that we Fae hold in honor and respect… it represents Mother Nature herself. It is also the number of fate. Which I think is rather important, since this will effect yours. If, you ask for my aid four times, the game is forfeit, and you will become full Fae… and stay with me in my kingdom. Do you agree?” Jareth cupped her chin in his hand while he waited for her reply.

Sarah bit her lip, weighing her options. “So… _if_ I run the Labyrinth again, and I _win_ … without having to ask for your help four times, you’ll remove the spell from the peach and I can return to normal? Live a normal life?”

Jareth’s eyes darkened. He didn’t like thinking about that outcome, because it would mean he would lose her for a second time. “Yes.” He said tightly.

Sarah squinted her eyes suspiciously, “How long would I have?”

Jareth inhaled and paused for a moment, thinking. “Would you agree to thirteen as before?” he grinned.

Sarah scowled. “If it’s more complicated and darker now as you say, I don’t think that’s very fair. How about seventy-two?”

He huffed, “Forty-eight. That’s two days, Sarah. Two days _and_ the offer of my assistance multiple times. I think that is _more_ than fair.”

Sarah thought about this for a moment. He was giving her a chance, it was better than nothing. “Deal.” She nodded.

“Shall we seal the contract with something a little more _binding_ than a verbal agreement?” he asked with a flicker of lust returning in his eyes.

He placed his hands softly on either side of her hips and pulled her to him, pressing his own hips against her, where she could feel his cock growing hard again. Without waiting for a response, he bent his head to hers and kissed her, gently pushing her mouth open with his tongue, deepening the kiss. _God_ , she thought. _He even tastes like cinnamon._ She closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around his neck, standing up on the balls of her feet. Well, one thing had certainly changed since the last time she had been to his Labyrinth… he _definitely_ had some kind of power over her now.

She felt the world around her shift, while her eyes were closed and her lips locked on his. She pulled away from him slowly, opening her eyes and blinking in the bright sunlight. Wasn’t it dark and storming outside? Wasn’t she in her bedroom? Since when was there _grass_ under her feet? She squinted, waiting for her eyes to adjust, while Jareth still held her in his arms. Slowly, the world around her materialized, and she gasped, amazed at what she saw… she was back. It was so much more beautiful than she had remembered it. The sky was a clear blue, and the hill she had remembered being dry and sandy, was now lush with grass. The world around her was full of blues, greens, and colors more intense than any ever seen in the mortal world. She was back in the Underground, and a small part of her heart leapt at the realization. _I’ve come home_ , a secret place inside her whispered.


	10. Marvelous Things

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AH! FINALLY! It's here! The next chapter! I'm so very sorry to all those who were waiting patiently (and impatiently) for this chapter to get here. College, work, and life have been rather hectic the last few months. Instead of writing this next chapter, I have been writing papers for school, but it's all finally winding down now and I only have a few more weeks left before I'm on summer break. Then, I can focus more on this fic and write for fun instead of for school. 
> 
> Enough jibber-jabber from me, I'm sure you are eager to read the continuing story. 
> 
> Enjoy, my darlings! :)

_“I awoke the dawn_

_Saw horses growing out the lawn,_

_I glimpsed a bat with butterfly wings_

_Oh, what marvelous things._

_Dark night, hold tight_

_And sleep tight, my baby._

_Morning light shall burst bright_

_And keep us here safely._

_I followed a rabbit_

_Through rows of mermaid entwined shrubbery,_

_Oh, what marvelous things_

_But they are, they are, they are_

_Giving me the creeps…”_

_-Marvelous Things by Eisley._

 

“It’s more beautiful than I remembered it. It was never this… green before.” Sarah gasped as she looked about, soaking in the scenery.

Jareth was staring down at Sarah, unabashedly. He was soaking the sight of _her_ in. He raised a hand from where he held her waist and gently pulled off the black glove with his teeth. He spit the glove out, and entwined his now exposed long, elegant fingers in her dark hair. Sarah turned back to face him then, a smile playing on her lips.

“It’s changed, because _you_ have changed. When you first arrived, you were frightened, and didn’t wish to be here. Your inner turmoil reflected in the landscape. This world is very much alive, Sarah. Right down to the roots in the ground. I may have also been adjusting things about the landscape in recent years. It should be as beautiful as you wish it to be.” Jareth released her and turned to gaze out at his kingdom from the hillside.

Sarah was in awe, “You reshaped the land… for me?”

“I have done more impressive things for you in the past.” Jareth said over his shoulder. “A little grass on the ground is hardly worth the lack of breath.” He turned again to face her, a coy grin playing on his lips and he raked her up and down with his eyes. “We will have to do something about your attire, Sarah. Pajamas, while admittedly a little appealing despite their lack of form are not exactly the sort of clothes one wears when on a quest.” He brought his ungloved hand up to his chin and tapped it with a finger.

Sarah glanced down at herself a little self-consciously, picking at her baggy pajama pants with her hands and muttering a little under her breath about not exactly being prepped and warned beforehand about a stupid quest.

Jareth let out a low chuckle and clapped his hands together. “Ah, I have the perfect outfit in mind!”

Sarah glared up at him, raising a finger in warning. “If it involves nudity or a teddy, you can expect a swift kick in the crystals, Jareth.”

Jareth cocked his head and scowled a little. “You underestimate me.”

Before she could respond with another quip, he flicked his wrist and a thick, silver mist rose up from the ground around her, roiling and tumbling it encompassed her entirely and she couldn’t see anything. The magic smelled like him, like cinnamon and earth. She bit her lip to keep from laughing as the mist caressed and tickled her skin. After a moment, it began to dissipate and Jareth’s shape became clear and came in to focus in front of her.

“Wow.” Was all she managed to blurt out.

“I think the word that comes to mind is… ravaging.” Jareth purred as he took her image in.

Sarah cocked an eyebrow and furrowed her forehead, taking a moment to glance down at herself. _Well_ , she thought. _He certainly has a flare for style_.

She was dressed in a loose, low-cut sapphire blue poet’s shirt, with a black corset over it that hugged her waist and pushed her breasts up and together. _Of course_ , she ruminated. Her lower half was clad in black leggings that hugged her shape and were made of some kind of soft material that reminded Sarah of suede. Her boots were also black, sturdy, comfortable, and came up to mid-calf. Her hair was left down but had been tamed from the snared, wet mess it had been in from the storm.

She glanced back up at Jareth, who was sporting a look that spoke of how pleased with himself he was. “You certainly put some thought in to this, didn’t you?” she said with a wry smile.

He flashed a grin at her, and trailed his eyes down to her chest. “You _do_ look radiant in blue, my sweet. The color suits you… tailor-made for you, in fact.”

Sarah squinted her eyes in mock annoyance. “Uh huh. Were the heaving bosoms an absolute necessity, though?” she jerked her chin down at her chest to convey her point.

Jareth only grinned wider. “I may have applied a few selfish inspirations in to the wardrobe choice, but I assure you it is all quite adequate for your little journey. Speaking of which, you really ought to get moving. Your forty-eight hours have just begun.”

Some of the playfulness left his eyes as he spoke this last part to her, and for a moment it seemed that the sky flashed a little darker than it had been. Sarah wondered in the back of her mind just how much sway Jareth had over the world around them.

“Shall we start you off with a good luck kiss, then?” the playfulness returning to his eyes once more.

Sarah rolled her eyes and placed a hand on her hip, giving him her best irritated stare. “Is it going to help me solve this labyrinth? Some magical enchantment to use at a later time? Or is this some kind of trick? Because we agreed that this would be a fair game, Jareth, and I don’t know that I can trust you not to-“

He was on her before she could finish. His lips encasing hers, devouring her tongue with his own, his arms around her, pressing her tight against his body. She laced her arms up his chest and locked her hands together behind his neck, the muscles in her calves straining tight as she stood on her tip-toes. He responded by wrapping his own arms around her waist and raising her off the ground a few inches, their lips never once unlocking. The kiss seemed to go on for a long time, she felt Jareth chuckling against her lips and he slowly lowered her down, breaking the kiss and their embrace.

“Sometimes,” he spoke low in to her ear. “A kiss is just a kiss, Sarah. Not _everything_ here is a riddle or something not as it seems.”

Sarah took a deep breath, smoothing out imaginary wrinkles from her corset and shirt. “Right.” She replied.

“However,” he spoke again, taking a few steps back from her. “You should be extremely aware and remember that not everything _is_ as it seems inside the labyrinth. Danger can wear a friendly face, evil can appear as beauty, poison is often very sweet. You _must_ be careful. You only have four chances to have my help, so use them wisely and above all else use that wonderful, sharp head of yours, Sarah.”

She nodded solemnly and huffed loudly, trying to dispel her nerves. “I guess there’s nothing for it then but to start.”

She turned to face the stone walls of the labyrinth sprawling out before her down at the bottom of the hill, unable to see an end in sight from either direction. Her stomach was doing flips and her heart was pounding hard in her chest. “ _Sometimes the way forward is the way back_ ,” a voice inside her head reminded her. She let out another deep breath and turned to face the Goblin King once more.

“Well, I suppose I’ll see you in forty-eight hours then, Jar-“ she turned to find that he was no longer there. She was standing alone now on the grassy hill. “Jareth?” she called out. Waiting for him to appear or answer her, spinning in circles looking for any sight of him or the Owl he sometimes transformed in to. “Jareth!” she called louder.

“ _Best get a move on, my dear. Time is already slipping away_.” His voice seemed to be coming from nowhere and everywhere all at once.

“Show off.” Sarah grumbled and set off down the hill towards the labyrinth wall.

As she approached the wall, she noticed the little brick pond with the fountain in its center. She half expected to find Hoggle there as he was years before, but there was nothing and no one. Not even the little silver pixies she had encountered fluttering about the wall. She half smiled at the memory and was also a little sad. Things were different now. She was still young, but she wasn’t a child anymore and she knew that to solve the labyrinth this time, she would not be able to rely on childhood friends and girlish fancy. Never would she have thought that person she would rely on for help would be the Goblin King himself. Things had _definitely_ changed.

Sarah walked until the giant stone wall was just a foot or two in front of her face. The gate was missing from before, and she couldn’t see one at all from either direction for as far as her eyes could see. She slowly drew her hands up and placed them on the wall. The stones felt cool and smooth to the touch, and she began to walk sideways, her hands gliding along on the stones, feeling for a gap that could be an entrance. An entrance that was invisible to the naked eye. The first trick of the labyrinth was getting in. After a short time, Sarah was beginning to wonder if she was wrong about it all, and she would have to find another way in. Or, she could ask Jareth for help, but then that would take away one of her saves… she couldn’t risk that over a stupid thing like finding the entrance, and god knew what was lying in wait for her within. If the labyrinth was as changed and dark as Jareth warned her, she might very well need some serious help eventually. Better to save it for when she would _really_ need it.

She was so lost in thought while she walked along the wall that when the gap finally appeared under her hands, she nearly fell forward, letting out a yelp and grasping the opening in the wall for support before she face planted. She steadied herself for moment, and stepped gingerly in to the opening while glancing from left to right. Both ways seemed to go on forever, just like before. _Last time I was here, I went right. So, maybe this time I should give left a try_. Sarah thought to herself. It couldn’t hurt, anyway. Or maybe it could…

As she walked, she noticed the creepy, strange fungi with eyeballs, growing on the walls and cracks of the labyrinth. The mossy tendrils swayed and moved, the eyeballs fixed on her as she passed them. She shuddered as a chill went up her spine. She didn’t care much for those things before, and her feelings towards them had not warmed any in the years since. As she walked, stepping over ancient, dead branches from trees she could find no other trace of she noticed other “plant” life growing and crawling over the walls. One of these plants caught her attention dramatically. They were flowers, growing on the greenest vines she had ever seen and they were radiating! She was transfixed and had to step closer. The flowers looked like oversized primroses and each one was a kaleidoscope of colors, their petals had a glossy, glittery film on them which only added to their glowing beauty. Their rainbow colors stood out violently against the dark, dull stones from the wall. Sarah couldn’t help herself, she had to know what they smelled like, so she came even closer, bent her head close to one of the beautiful flowers and inhaled, the tips of her fingers touching the petals lightly as she did so. They smelled akin to honeysuckle, and she inhaled a second time much more deeply, the corners of her mouth spreading in to a smile.

She was so transfixed in the splendor of the flowers, that she didn’t see the vine that they were growing from, begin to move as a green tendril slithered its way to her neck. The sting was quick and felt like nothing more than a little pinch. Sarah gasped and slapped a hand over her neck, just below her jawline where the vine had stung her.

“Ouch!” she hissed, furrowing her eyebrows and rubbing the little bump that was welling up.

She stepped back away from the flowers and a dizzy spell overtook her, she stumbled and fell to her knees, the world around her began to spin and blur. The spot on her neck where the vine had stung her began to burn like fire. If she had a mirror, or something reflective to look in to, Sarah would have seen the deep, sickly purple lines sprawling out from the wound across her skin, following the path of her veins. Her throat was becoming dry and tight, and she found herself gasping for breath, clutching desperately at her throat. An eerie rasp escaping her mouth when she tried to scream. She collapsed fully to the stone ground now, her lips turning blue and the world on the edge of her vision began to darken.

With what little breath she could muster, she whispered, “Jareth. Help me.” After that everything went black.

Jareth was over her in a moment, and quicker than that, he was ripping a hand full of the eye fungus off the wall.

“God damned idiot girl!” He spat in anger and fear.

Jareth knelt down and raised Sarah’s limp body up, cradling her in his arms. He forced open her mouth and shoved the plant in to her mouth, massaging her throat to encourage her to swallow it. His eyes burned, but the kiss he placed on her forehead was gentle and loving.

Blackness faded to grey, and eventually colors and shapes began to come in to focus in front of Sarah’s eyes. She smelled that cinnamon spice smell, and saw Jareth’s face becoming clearer above her. He was clad in his white shirt, black vest and grey leggings. She focused for a moment on the bit of his exposed cream colored chest, the royal pendant he always wore dangling from its chain. The burning in her neck was abating, and her breathing was becoming easier. Though the taste in her mouth was bitter. She frowned a little and slowly sat up.

“I really didn’t think that you would require my assistance so soon. Clearly, I have underestimated your skills, Sarah.” Jareth said with mild annoyance. “What the hell were you thinking sticking that beautiful face of yours so close to that vile weed?”

Jareth stood up swiftly, and extended his hand out to her, she took it groggily and slowly got to her feet. He placed a hand on her waist to keep her steady.

“I didn’t know it was poisonous. It was so… beautiful and lovely. I- I thought it was harmless.” She placed a hand over her eyes, the dizziness was still slowly dissipating.

Jareth let out an irritated huff and shook his head, “Things are not always what they seem in this place, Sarah. How many bloody times do you have to be reminded of that? I thought you had learned at least that much since your last visit here. Beautiful can be deadly, and what seems ugly, frightening, or plain can be good, unique, and useful. Never judge a book by its cover, isn’t that a saying of you mortals?”

Sarah hung her head a little, avoiding his eyes. She was a little ashamed at her own foolishness. “I didn’t think…” she bit her lower lip and breathed in a gloriously deep breath. It felt good. She met his eyes again, “Thank you. For you know… saving my life.”

He nodded curtly, removing his hand from her waist.

Sarah looked around her, and then back at him. “How did you do it, by the way? Was is magic? A spell or something?”

Jareth’s tight lipped frown broke in to a smile. “I’m resourceful, Sarah. Incredibly clever, and staggeringly brilliant. I don’t need magic to do everything.”

Sarah grinned up at him and laughed. “Right. So, how did you do it?”

Jareth gestured towards another clump of the eye fungus growing on the walls. “With these. Incredible little plants, and one of their many talents is that when ingested, they act as a counter- agent to those colorful weeds you were so entrapped with.”

Sarah’s expression dissolved from humored to horrified. “Eyeballs?!” she shrieked. “You fed me _eyeballs_!?” she looked as though she might be sick.

Jareth grinned, “Actually, it’s a fungus… which, also happens to have eyeballs.”

Sarah shook her head and stuck her tongue out, making a retching sound.

Jareth scoffed at her. “It saved your pretty little hide, Sarah. You’re welcome. Now, if you’ve quite recovered yourself this little misjudgment of yours has set you back on time, and one of your free chances at help from me. Best you compose yourself and carry on with our little game, don’t you think?”

Sarah sighed and ran a hand through her hair, then she dusted off her leggings and straightened her shoulders. “Right.”

Jareth stepped up to her, flashing his toothy grin as he stared down in to her eyes. “Remember to pay attention to things, Sarah. Remember that not everything you see is the truth. Beauty can be dangerous. It’s prick often goes unnoticed until it’s too late.”

Sarah gave him a slanted, mocking smile. “Does that include you, Goblin King?”

Jareth’s eyes glittered with animalistic light at her remark, slowly he bent his head down, until his lips were barely touching hers. She closed her eyes and swooned a little, expecting a kiss.

Instead, Jareth only whispered, deep and guttural. “Trust me, Sarah. Were I to _prick_ you, you would absolutely feel it.” He laughed then, low and soft.

Sarah’s eyes sprang open only to find that Jareth had once again disappeared in to thin air. She let out a frustrated grunt, spinning slowly around in a circle. “ _Tease_!” she shouted at the sky. She was sure he could hear her.

“Well,” she sighed. “Come on, feet.” And set off down the path she had started.


	11. A Quick Note from Me

Hey guys! 

First off, let me appologize for not updating this fic in SO long. I have NOT abandoned it, I promise you! This summer has been an incredibly difficult one. I have lost 2 beloved pets who were far too young to have to leave this world; my 3 1/2 year old ferret, "Rizzo" to cancer, and my 3 year old cat, "Josh" to a disease he was born with. (Which I knew about when I adopted him, but still had hope that he would live a farely normal life.) This, on top of working in a soul-crushing job I HATED, made for some rather low points this Summer, and a lack of motivation to write. 

I can say now though, that I am doing/feeling MUCH better. I quit my horrible job, and got a job in the library of the college I attend. (YAY! BOOKS!) That is far less stressful, makes me happy, and gives me more free time (and homework time, Blegh) I also have a new kitty that I adopted from the same shelter I got Josh from, and he is a HEALTHY cat. (His name is Loki, btw!) And also recently, a baby ferret who I have named Puck. 

I'm in a much better place, and a fire has been lit under my butt to write again. I'm currently listening to Bowie, and finishing the latest chapter of this fic! So, I guess I'd better end this note here, and get back to the next chapter. Hang in there with me guys! I know you've been waiting a long time for this! 

Love, and Jareth glitter,

\- DarkLordBananas


	12. Dirty Paws

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GAH! FINALLY! 
> 
> I am so sorry this took so long! I have only had time to work on this a paragraph at a time between life, school, work, etc. 
> 
> But here it is, dammit! I've done it! I really hope you all like it, and find it worth the wait. I am really enjoying exploring the new places in Jareth's Labyrinth with you and Sarah, and I have some more interesting locations (and creatures) within it that we will be exploring! Stay tuned, and read on! Much love, guys! Thank you for being SO incredibly patient!

_“Her dirty paws and furry coat_

_She ran down the forest slopes._

_The forest of talking trees,_

_They used to sing about the birds and the bees._

_The bees had declared a war,_

_The sky wasn’t big enough for them all._

_The birds they got help from below,_

_From dirty paws and the creatures of snow.”_

_-Dirty Paws by Of Monsters and Men._

It seemed what Sarah estimated to be several hours before she found another entrance to take her deeper in to the Labyrinth. She had been wandering the first outer tier with slow, methodical sweeps to make sure she wouldn’t miss anything that could be significant or out of place. More of those poisonous, colorful flowers lined the stone walls as she passed and she took special care to give them a wide berth as she walked. _Fool me once_. She thought as she eyed them cautiously.

 Sarah came upon the weather-worn, red wooden door so suddenly, that she had to back track a few paces after her brain had registered its existence. She stood now in front of it, viewing it with curiosity as well as mistrust. A door in the middle of a seemingly never ending brick wall was a little too easy, she thought. It just couldn’t be _that_ obvious, right? She sighed and looked as far as she could see in either direction, and then scanned the area around and above the door. There was no handle or keyhole, or any other sign of a way to open it, so maybe that was the trick.

 She stepped close to it, there were vines and clumps of those strange eyeball moss plants growing all around it. Sarah placed a hand gingerly on the rough, splintered wood. Bits of faded red paint flaked off at her touch and fluttered to the ground. More pieces chipped and fluttered as she ran her fingers over the surface of the wood; trying to find a sign or hint of a way to open the door. Nothing. She raised her other hand up and threw all her strength and weight against the wood; pushing until beads of sweat began to form on her face. The door made a straining, groaning sound of wood under pressure, but it did not give or budge. Sarah let a growl of frustration escape her lips and she turned her back on the door; sliding down to the ground. She looked about her. This was the first sign of a way out of the first ring in the labyrinth she had seen. There might be others, but how long would she have to walk before she found another one? Would she? She couldn’t ask Jareth for help again and lose yet another safe pass. She drew her knees up to her chest and bent her forehead on to them, letting out a tired, defeated sigh as she closed her eyes.

 “Now what?” she murmured.

 She let her hands slip to her sides, and it was then that she felt something odd about the stone underhand on her left side. She opened her eyes and raised her head, leaning over as she raised her hand up slowly. There were small, circular holes worn or cut in to a rather large stone in the ground. Even more peculiar was the shape of it, it was perfectly round and symmetrical. Sarah shuffled on to her hands and knees, bending her face closer to the ground to study the stone better. She brushed some dirt and grime off of it, and studied the little holes in it better. There were 5 of them all arranged in a sort of semi-circle around the stone. Their size seemed big enough to slip fingers in to. Sarah’s eyes widened in excitement, and she gingerly slipped her fingers and thumb in to the holes in the rock; wiggling them ever so slightly. She felt a bit of give and gripped harder as she turned the stone counter-clockwise. There was the scraping sound of stone on stone as the rock moved slowly and then clicked to a stop. At that same moment, the old wooden door creaked open, and Sarah jumped to her feet as she let out a whoop of celebration.

 She stepped closer and could smell the distinct scent of earth and trees wafting out  from the opening, though glancing in she couldn’t really see anything. She hesitated for a moment, wondering if stepping in to a place unseen (with no idea where her feet would land… or wouldn’t land) was a wise idea. Standing here wasn’t going to do any good either, and time was ticking away. Without a watch to tell the time by, she had to guess by looking at the position of the sun in the sky. Though how accurate that would be she wasn’t sure. Wasn’t time different in the world of Fae?

 Shaking her head to clear her mind, she took a deliberate step in to the archway and what lay beyond it. Her feet touched ground. She let out the breath she had been holding, as the door creakily swung shut behind her, taking with it the bright light of the sun. She had stepped in to what seemed to be a forest at midnight. As her eyes adjusted to the dim and dark, she could see that the large, ancient trees around her. Their trunks and branches adorned with green moss, the leaves of these trees appeared to be a silver blue; though their exact color might have been a little difficult to pinpoint given the lack of light.

 Sarah could see a faint, narrow path made of flat stones that wound its way off in to the trees. They were covered here and there with old withered leaves, a small coating of dust and dirt, but still distinguishable. She made for it, and carefully watched where she placed her feet until her eyes adjusted more to the darkness. The air was cool here, and a slight fragrant wind blew around her; bringing with it the smell of woods, unnamed flowers, and the distinct smell of night. As she walked, the path became a little wider, enough room for two people to walk abreast with ease. As she continued, she could hear the sounds of what she could only assume were animals and insects of the forest. None of it sounded menacing though, but she thought it best to keep her guard up all the same. She wished that that smug, good looking, flouncing Goblin King had given her _some_ kind of weapon. At least a freaking knife! That would come in handy for more than just defense.

 She glanced up in to the canopy, and could see a bright, silver moon shining down on her through the passing branches of leaves; which were becoming a little less dense as she moved along. Strange how she had gone from night, to mid-day, to night again in so little time. How long had she been here? She noticed then that her stomach was growling a little, and she was feeling rather tired as well. Should she find a place to stop, or should she continue on? Surely a short rest and a little snack was in order. She couldn’t push herself in to exhaustion. Sarah decided she would continue on a little ways, while searching for something that she could eat and safe place to rest that was fairly close to the path. She didn’t want to lose it, that was for sure. After what she guessed was another 20-30 minutes, she saw a faint green and purple glow and the sound of trickling water coming from somewhere nearby. Sarah paused and listened intently as she tried to pinpoint the location of the sound and glow. She swallowed her increasingly dry throat; a drink of cool water at least would be a welcome boon.

 She stepped off the stone trail, and in to the trees about 8 feet in. The sound of running water grew louder, and as she rounded a large tree, her hand skimming the sleek silver bark, she found before her a moss covered clearing, and in its center a tiny waterfall that dumped it’s crystal clear water in to the depths of a natural pool. A winding brook flowed off from it and in to the darkness of the trees. Only the purple/green light of it’s waters were visible in the distance, glowing almost as brightly as the giant silver moon in the sky. A sky that Sarah could now clearly see as she stood at the edge of the clearing. The stars here were strange, but plentiful. They lit up the sky around the moon with their twinkling white lights.

 As Sarah stepped closer to the stream, she could now see the source of the bright glow. It wasn’t actually the water itself that caused the colorful light, but squat little mushrooms that grew like thickets all along the water’s edge! She went to her knees and stared down in amazement at the unusual fungus, then at the water. It looked clear and safe enough to drink, as thirsty as she was, she figured she would risk it. If she had to use one of her saves from Jareth to prevent her dying of poisoned water, so be it. She cupped her hands and dipped them below the surface of the stream, the water was pleasantly cool to the touch as it ran around her fingers. Raising her hands to her lips, she took a sip. Her eyes widening as the cool water ran down her throat. Never had Sarah tasted water that was _this_ good! This fresh. There was almost a sweetness to it. She plunged her hands back in to the stream and began to drink greedily, quenching her thirst.

 “I hope you’re not planning on eating any of those mushrooms.” A strange voice called out.

 Sarah spun about and toppled from her knees to her side, letting out a yelp of surprise. Her eyes darted about in an attempt to locate the owner of the voice she had just heard.

 “Who are you? Who’s there?” she cried.

 “I mean,” the voice continued in a casual tone. “Unless you have a death wish or something akin to that.” And out of the shadows stepped one of the strangest creatures Sarah had seen yet.

 He looked a little like a giant ferret and was about the size of a cattle dog, with a body of charcoal black fur. His legs, however, were silver grey and his long bushy tail resembled that of a fox’s more than a ferret. He swished it back and forth slowly as he approached Sarah, his violet colored eyes were sparkling with intelligence.

 “The water is perfectly good, but of course you know that for yourself.” The creature dipped his head down in to the stream and lapped up some of the water on his tongue. Seemingly ignoring the surprised look on Sarah’s face.

 He came and sat down in front of her then, peering at her with an inquisitive stare.

 “Who are  _you?_ You’re not from this place, of that I’m sure.” He cocked his head to the left and sniffed the air around her. “You’re not human either, that is surprising. You _look_ human. We get the odd few of them here now and then, they stumble in through one of the rips in the fabric of their world, and end up wandering about making a lot of trouble along the way.”

 Sarah eased up in to a sitting position and brushed some grass from her knees. “I’m Sarah.”

 “Sarah?” the creature replied. “Sarah… “ he seemed to be rolling the name around on his tongue, the look on his face was that of deep thought.

 “I’m trying to get to center of the Labyrinth. If I do Jareth will-“

 “You’re _Jareth’s_ Sarah?!” he interrupted her with a squeal as he spoke. “So it’s _you_ eh? You’re the one who got King tight-pants all in a fit those years ago? Ha! He’s never been beaten before, you know. Not once. Not until you, it would seem.”

 “You’ve heard of me?” Sarah was surprised.

 He nodded shortly. “Everyone who lives in or around the labyrinth of Jareth has heard of you. You caused _quite_ the hissy-fit from our Lord and Sovereign. He may have moved the stars for you, but that was _nothing_ compared to the tantrum he threw when you left. Pissing off Fairy Kings is not really wise, you know.”

 “So I’ve come to realize.” Mumbled Sarah.

 She stared down at him hard, taking the sight of him in. “Who are you?” she asked again.

 “ _I’m_ Pantuck.” The creature said with pride, puffing out his chest.

 Sarah grinned. “and… _what_ are you?”

 Pantuck’s chest deflated, and he gave Sarah a withering stare with his violet eyes. “I already told you. _Pantuck._ You’re a pretty girl… but not very bright. Not sure I see the allure you have over Jareth.”

 Sarah narrowed her eyes in annoyance, making a face as him. “You said Pantuck was your name. I asked what you _are._ ”

 “No. You asked _who_ I was. I told you. I am Pantuck. Pantuck is who I _am_.” He stood up again on all fours, and returned to the stream for a mouthful of mushrooms.

 Sarah watched him while he chomped away at the glowing fungus. Noting that the strange fungus were clearly not poisonous to _him_. The only sound in the silence was the trickle of the stream, and the soft whooshing noise as a breeze blew gently through the leaves in the trees.

 “Are there more like you?” Sarah asked after a few minutes.

 Pantuck raised his head and spoke through a mouthful of food “There are _none_ like me. I am the only _me_ there is.”

 “Like Tigger?” Sarah giggled a little.

 “Like who?” Pantuck looked at her like she had a horn growing out of her head. Although, in the land of Fae, that might not be the strangest thing to see.

 Sarah dipped her head, to hide her smile. “No one. Nevermind. So… do you think you could help me find some food that I can eat that _won’t_ kill me? I’m not really savvy to the flora and fauna of this place, and I’m _starving_.”

 Pantuck stared at her for a long moment, and sniffed the air in front of her. “You eat anything here that you didn’t bring with you, and it will cost you your human life.”

 Sarah’s face grew a little more serious. “Yes. I know. It’s a little late for that.”

 Pantuck’s eyes narrowed. “Not quite… but soon enough. Though, at this point eating more food from fae won’t do you any harm. There are some roots under these trees that are quite tasty… don’t make that face until you’ve tried them! Besides, you’re the one who asked _me_! Don’t like my solution, you are more than welcome to fend for yourself.”

 “I’ll try them.” Sarah half pleaded. The rumbling in her stomach was becoming more apparent, and beggars couldn’t be choosers.

 With that, the ferret-like creature put his dexterous paws to work, and pulled up a small crop of roots the silver-blue color of the tree it came from. He placed them in her hands and then stepped back, watching her as she held one up to study.

 “Well?” he said encouragingly. “Give it a taste!”

 Sarah slowly and hesitantly opened her mouth and took a small bite of it. As she chewed, her face brightened up. “Hey! This is _really_ good! It tastes like… it kinda tastes like blackberries.” She willingly took another, much larger bite than before, chewing enthusiastically.

 Pantuck nodded with satisfaction and sat down on his haunches. “Things are not always what they seem in this place.”

 Sarah smiled as she chewed. “So I’ve been reminded on several occasions. Thank you, Pantuck.”

 He merely blinked and settled down on the ground, chewing on a root himself. They both ate in silence for a while before Pantuck decided to break it.

 “What exactly are you doing here again, if I may ask?” he sat up on his haunches again, looking at her with his odd little eyes.

 “Jareth and I made a deal.” She said a little bashfully.

 “Because making deals with Fairy Kings never, _ever_ goes awry. Worked so well for you the first time too, eh?” He interrupted.

 Sarah shot him a needle-sharp look before continuing. “We made a deal that if I can make my way through the labyrinth again, he would reverse the change on me and let me go. For good this time.”

 “You’re a fool if you think that he’ll honor that. He has no intention of letting you go.” Pantuck shook his head.

 “I know it’s probably not wise, and I would agree except… expect I think this time he really means it. I think that…” Sarah trailed off and blushed a little.

 Pantuck’s tone of voice when he spoke was shocked and a little amused. “You aren’t sure if you want him to, are you?” His eyes glittered with amusement as he rested his head on his paws. “Well, well, well. This _is_ amusing!”

 Sarah blushed and looked away a little annoyed. “Shut up.” Was all she could find to say. A small yawn escaped her mouth, and she blinked.

 “Tired?” Pantuck said.

 “Yeah, a little. I feel like I’ve been waking forever. I think I’ve been awake for at least a day or more. Time is different here, and when I got here it was already nearly a full day in my world.” She gazed up at the moon through the opening of the tree canopy.

 "Well, shut your eyes a spell. You won’t get much farther if you’re exhausted.” Pantuck said with a blink.

 Sarah yawned widely again, and found a deep nook between two great roots of one of the trees to nestle down in. The air was pleasantly cool, like the Summer nights back home when she was younger. The grass was springy and soft, and she quickly found it difficult to keep her eyes open. She fell in to a deep slumber, the last sound she heard was the gentle flow and splashing of the little creek nearby.

 Her world faded to a dreamscape, and she found herself… or was it her dream-self? In this world it was hard to say what was only dreaming, but still, there she was in that white, glittering ballroom. Around her, Fae of all shapes and sizes, in every color fabric you could imagine, were dancing and swaying. Their faces masked and concealed, all but one. Jareth’s face seemed to materialized out of thin air, smiling that toothy grin of his while his otherworldly eyes penetrated hers. He extended a bare hand to her, pale, thin, but powerful. He wore that iridescent sapphire suite she had always loved the most on him. She smiled widely despite herself, and eagerly took it. She felt that she was floating to him, instead of walking, and he swept her up in to his arms, carrying and spinning her around the dance floor light she was weightless. The people around them spread out to give them the floor, and the music floated to her ears, the same longing, crooning song he has sang to her as they had danced before, years ago. Sarah leaned in close to him, breathing in his addicting scent, as his smile grew wider. She placed a hand on his boney cheek, feeling the warmth of his skin, tracing the pointed cheekbones and the hollows beneath them. She pressed her lips to him and he pressed his back, never once breaking pace with the dance. They spun and twirled, lips locked, for all to see.

 The flapping of wings woke her with a start. She sat up, nearly forgetting where she was as she caught her breath and waited for her heartbeat to slow. She glanced a little ways away from her to see that Pantuck was still there, crunching his teeth casually on a mouthful of roots and glowing mushrooms. He glanced over at her, and addressed her through his mouthful

 “You slept deep. You also had a visitor.” He nodded his head to the tree above where she slept, just as a single long feather floated down to land lightly on her shoulder.

 She plucked it up carefully, examining it. It was an owl feather, of course. More specifically, a feather from the wing of a barn owl. She ran the feather softly across her lips, blushing a little. The longer she was here, the more conflicted her heart was becoming. The more confused she was about what was right, and what she should do. She concluded that the point was to make her  _own_ choice in the end about what she wanted, what that choice would ultimately be, she didn’t know for sure anymore… but that was the true point of the Labyrinth, wasn’t it? To find herself.

 Sarah glanced up to find Pantuck staring at her with a very amused expression on his face, as if he could almost read her thoughts.

 “Not a word.” She warned him, sitting up and dusting herself off.

 Pantuck said nothing, but she swore she heard what she thoughts was a quiet chuckle from the creature. Sarah glanced around and to the still dark sky above her, her brows furrowing. The moon hadn’t seemed to change positions at all while she had slept.

 “How long was I asleep?” she asked, still fixated on the moon above.

 Pantuck walked over to her, following her glance. “Oh, a few hours give or take. I wouldn’t base your sense of time on the sky there, Miss. It’s _always_ dark here. They don’t call it the Midnight Forrest for nothing.”

 Sarah took her gaze off the sky and fixed it instead on Pantuck. “I don’t suppose you would be willing to guide me to edge of it? The trees just seem to get thicker and thicker as I go along, and picking my way down the path in this darkness is not easy.”

 He considered her for a moment, his violet eyes seemed to glow brighter as he did so. “You’re not too far from one of the exits. A little over an hour I’d say. I suppose I could take you there. I can’t go any farther than that though. I live here for a reason you know. Light hurts my eyes too much. Most of us who’re nocturnal creatures like it here, obviously. Sorry I can’t do more than that for you.”

 Sarah’s face brightened. “Oh! Thank you, Pantuck! I understand. Just getting me another length in would be help enough!” She leaned down to give him a pet in gratitude, and he shied away.

 “I’m not a pet, you know.” He said with slight irritation. He turned around and began walking away out of the clearing towards the path Sarah had left behind.

 “Right. Sorry.” Sarah retracted her hand with a little embarrassment. She set off after him, following Pantuck as the little creature began picking his way expertly through the trees and darkness.


End file.
